Abstract: Techniques are described for using confinement structures and/or pattern gratings to reduce or prevent the wicking of sealant polymer (e.g., glue) into the optically active areas of a multi-layered optical assembly. A multi-layered optical structure may include multiple layers of substrate imprinted with waveguide grating patterns. The multiple layers may be secured using an edge adhesive, such as a resin, epoxy, glue, and so forth. A confinement structure such as an edge pattern may be imprinted along the edge of each layer to control and confine the capillary flow of the edge adhesive and prevent the edge adhesive from wicking into the functional waveguide grating patterns of the layers. Moreover, the edge adhesive may be carbon doped or otherwise blackened to reduce the reflection of light off the edge back into the interior of the layer, thus improving the optical function of the assembly.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide display substrates, each waveguide display substrate having a cylindrical portion having a diameter and a planar surface, a curved portion opposite the planar surface defining a nonlinear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height D with respect to the cylindrical portion, and a wedge portion between the cylindrical portion and the curved portion defining a linear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height W with respect to the cylindrical portion. A target maximum height Dt of the curved portion is 10?7 to 10?6 times the diameter, D is between about 70% and about 130% of Dt, and W is less than about 30% of Dt.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a head-mounted, near-eye display system comprises a stack of waveguides having integral spacers separating the waveguides. The waveguides may each include diffractive optical elements that are formed simultaneously with the spacers by imprinting. The spacers are disposed on one major surface of each of the waveguides and indentations are provided on an opposite major surface of each of the waveguides. The indentations are sized and positioned to align with the spacers, thereby forming a self-aligned stack of waveguides. Tops of the spacers may be provided with light scattering features, anti-reflective coatings, and/or light absorbing adhesive to prevent light leakage between the waveguides. As seen in a top-down view, the spacers may be elongated along the same axis as the diffractive optical elements. The waveguides may include structures (e.g.

Abstract: An example waveguide can include a polymer layer having substantially optically transparent material with first and second major surfaces configured such that light containing image information can propagate through the polymer layer being guided therein by reflecting from the first and second major surfaces via total internal reflection. The first surface can include first smaller and second larger surface portions monolithically integrated with the polymer layer and with each other. The first smaller surface portion can include at least a part of an in-coupling optical element configured to couple light incident on the in-coupling optical element into the polymer layer for propagation therethrough by reflection from the second major surface and the second larger surface portion of the first major surface.

Abstract: In some embodiments, compositions and methods comprising reflective flowable materials, e.g., reflective liquids including reflective inks and/or liquid metals, are described. In some embodiments, a surface is contacted with a reflective flowable material, thereby forming a reflective layer on the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a waveguide, for example a waveguide for a display device, and the flowable material coats surfaces of protrusions on the surface to form reflective diffractive optical elements. Some embodiments include a display device comprising a reflective layer of reflective flowable material.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may overlap the MPE region and may out couple one or more of the diffracted beams from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: A dynamic eyepiece for projecting an image to an eye of a viewer includes a waveguide layer having an input surface, an output surface opposing the input surface, and a periphery. The waveguide layer is configured to propagate light therein. The dynamic eyepiece also includes a mechanical structure coupled to at least a portion of the periphery of the waveguide layer. The mechanical structure is operable to apply a first mechanical force to the at least a portion of the periphery of the waveguide layer to impose a first surface profile on the output surface of the waveguide layer and apply a second mechanical force to the at least a portion of the periphery of the waveguide layer to impose a second surface profile different from the first surface profile on the output surface of the waveguide layer.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may be positioned to receive one or more of the diffracted beams from the MPE region and to out couple them from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: In some embodiments, compositions and methods comprising reflective flowable materials, e.g., reflective liquids including reflective inks and/or liquid metals, are described. In some embodiments, a surface is contacted with a reflective flowable material, thereby forming a reflective layer on the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a waveguide, for example a waveguide for a display device, and the flowable material coats surfaces of protrusions on the surface to form reflective diffractive optical elements. Some embodiments include a display device comprising a reflective layer of reflective flowable material.

Abstract: A plurality of waveguide display substrates, each waveguide display substrate having a cylindrical portion having a diameter and a planar surface, a curved portion opposite the planar surface defining a nonlinear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height D with respect to the cylindrical portion, and a wedge portion between the cylindrical portion and the curved portion defining a linear change in thickness across the substrate and having a maximum height W with respect to the cylindrical portion. A target maximum height Dt of the curved portion is 10?7 to 10?6 times the diameter, D is between about 70% and about 130% of Dt, and W is less than about 30% of Dt.

Abstract: Techniques for artifact mitigation in an optical system are disclosed. Light associated with a world object is received at the optical system, which is characterized by a world side and a user side. Light associated with a virtual image is projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system, causing a portion of the light associated with the virtual image to propagate toward the user side and light associated with an artifact image to propagate toward the world side. A dimmer of the optical system positioned between the world side and the eyepiece is adjusted to reduce an intensity of the light associated with the artifact image impinging on the dimmer and an intensity of the light associated with the world object impinging on the dimmer.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece waveguide can include an input coupling grating (ICG) region. The ICG region can couple an input beam into the substrate of the eyepiece waveguide as a guided beam. A first combined pupil expander-extractor (CPE) grating region can be formed on or in a surface of the substrate. The first CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a first plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a first plurality of output beams. The eyepiece waveguide can also include a second CPE grating region formed on or in the opposite surface of the substrate. The second CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a second plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a second plurality of output beams.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality. The eyepiece waveguide can include a transparent substrate with an input coupler region, a first orthogonal pupil expander (OPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The input coupler region can couple an input light beam that is externally incident on the input coupler region into at least a first guided light beam that propagates inside the substrate. The first OPE region can divide the first guided beam into a plurality of replicated, spaced-apart beams. The EPE region can re-direct the replicated beams from the first OPE region such that they exit the substrate. The EPE region can have an amount of optical power.

Abstract: In some embodiments, compositions and methods comprising reflective flowable materials, e.g., reflective liquids including reflective inks and/or liquid metals, are described. In some embodiments, a surface is contacted with a reflective flowable material, thereby forming a reflective layer on the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a waveguide, for example a waveguide for a display device, and the flowable material coats surfaces of protrusions on the surface to form reflective diffractive optical elements. Some embodiments include a display device comprising a reflective layer of reflective flowable material.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality. The eyepiece waveguide can include a transparent substrate with an input coupler region, first and second orthogonal pupil expander (OPE) regions, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The input coupler region can be positioned between the first and second OPE regions and can divide and re-direct an input light beam that is externally incident on the input coupler region into first and second guided light beams that propagate inside the substrate, with the first guided beam being directed toward the first OPE region and the second guided beam being directed toward the second OPE region. The first and second OPE regions can respectively divide the first and second guided beams into a plurality of replicated, spaced-apart beams. The EPE region can re-direct the replicated beams from both the first and second OPE regions such that they exit the substrate.

Abstract: In some embodiments, compositions and methods comprising reflective flowable materials, e.g., reflective liquids including reflective inks and/or liquid metals, are described. In some embodiments, a surface is contacted with a reflective flowable material, thereby forming a reflective layer on the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a waveguide, for example a waveguide for a display device, and the flowable material coats surfaces of protrusions on the surface to form reflective diffractive optical elements. Some embodiments include a display device comprising a reflective layer of reflective flowable material.

Abstract: In some embodiments, compositions and methods comprising reflective flowable materials, e.g., reflective liquids including reflective inks and/or liquid metals, are described. In some embodiments, a surface is contacted with a reflective flowable material, thereby forming a reflective layer on the surface. In some embodiments, the surface is a surface of a waveguide, for example a waveguide for a display device, and the flowable material coats surfaces of protrusions on the surface to form reflective diffractive optical elements. Some embodiments include a display device comprising a reflective layer of reflective flowable material.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may be positioned to receive one or more of the diffracted beams from the MPE region and to out couple them from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: Techniques are described for using confinement structures and/or pattern gratings to reduce or prevent the wicking of sealant polymer (e.g., glue) into the optically active areas of a multi-layered optical assembly. A multi-layered optical structure may include multiple layers of substrate imprinted with waveguide grating patterns. The multiple layers may be secured using an edge adhesive, such as a resin, epoxy, glue, and so forth. A confinement structure such as an edge pattern may be imprinted along the edge of each layer to control and confine the capillary flow of the edge adhesive and prevent the edge adhesive from wicking into the functional waveguide grating patterns of the layers. Moreover, the edge adhesive may be carbon doped or otherwise blackened to reduce the reflection of light off the edge back into the interior of the layer, thus improving the optical function of the assembly.