Abstract: Polarization insensitive gratings and displays including the same are disclosed.

Abstract: An eyepiece includes a substrate and an in-coupling grating patterned on a single side of the substrate. A first grating coupler is patterned on the single side of the substrate and has a first grating pattern. The first grating coupler is optically coupled to the in-coupling grating. A second grating coupler is patterned on the single side of the substrate adjacent to the first grating coupler. The second grating coupler has a second grating pattern different from the first grating pattern. The second grating coupler is optically coupled to the in-coupling grating.

Abstract: A display device includes a waveguide assembly comprising a waveguide configured to outcouple light out of a major surface of the waveguide to form an image in the eyes of a user. An adaptive lens assembly comprises a switchable waveplate assembly. The switchable waveplate assembly includes quarter-wave plates on opposing sides of a switchable liquid crystal layer, and electrodes on the quarter-wave plates in the volume between the quarter-wave plates. The electrodes can selectively establish an electric field and may serve as an alignment structure for molecules of the liquid crystal layer. Portions of the adaptive lens assembly may be manufactured by roll-to-roll processing in which a substrate roll is unwound, and alignment layers and liquid crystal layers are formed on the substrate as it moves towards a second roller, to be wound on that second roller.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for manufacturing waveguides that include spacer(s) on at least one surface of the waveguide, such that the spacers maintain mechanical stability and separation between the waveguides when the waveguides as assembled into a waveguide stack that is usable as an optical device. The disclosure also describes the various implementations of waveguides and optical devices that include spacers. The spacers may be created using a drop dispenser, in which drops of a (e.g., polymer) fluid are dispensed onto at least one surface of a substrate to be used as a waveguide. After being dispensed, the fluid drops can be cured to create the final, solidified spacers. Curing may also be performed in-flight before the drops reach the surface of the substrate. Partially cured drops may be stacked to create spacers of a particular height.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece waveguide can include an optically transmissive substrate with an input coupling grating (ICG) region. The ICG region can receive a beam of light and couple the beam into the substrate in a guided propagation mode. The eyepiece waveguide can also include a combined pupil expander-extractor (CPE) grating region that receives the beam of light from the ICG region and alters the propagation direction of the beam with a first interaction and out-couples the beam with a second interaction. The diffractive features of the CPE grating region can be arranged in rows and columns of alternating higher and lower quadrilateral surfaces or the diffractive features can comprise diamond shaped raised ridges. The eyepiece waveguide can also include one or more recycler grating regions.

Abstract: A head-mounted display system includes: a head mounted display frame; a first eyepiece supported by the frame, the first eyepiece including a first substrate composed of a crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a first orientation with respect to the frame, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first eyepiece further including a first in-coupling element including a grating on the first surface, and a first out-coupling element including a grating on the first surface and/or a grating on the second surface; and a second eyepiece including a second substrate composed of the crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a second orientation with respect to the frame different from the first orientation, a second in-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate, and a second out-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate.

Abstract: Waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 and methods of patterning waveguides are disclosed. Patterned waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 can be incorporated in display devices, such as, for example wearable display devices to project virtual images to a viewer.

Abstract: Asymmetric structures formed on a substrate and microlithographic methods for forming such structures. Each of the structures has a first side surface and a second side surface, opposite the first side surface. A profile of the first side surface is asymmetric with respect to a profile of the second side surface. The structures on the substrate are useful as a diffraction pattern for an optical device.

Abstract: A method of operating an augmented reality display having a world side and a user side includes receiving world light incident on the augmented reality display from the world side, linearly polarizing the world light to produce first linearly polarized light characterized by a first polarization state, and rotating the first linearly polarized light to produce second linearly polarized light characterized by a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. The method also includes converting the second linearly polarized light to first circularly polarized light having a first handedness, converting the first circularly polarized light to second circularly polarized light having a second handedness, converting the second circularly polarized light to the second linearly polarized light; and blocking the second linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system includes an optically transmissive substrate, a first in-coupling grating (ICG) region, a second ICG region and one or more pupil expander and extraction gratings. The first ICG region can receive input beams of light corresponding to a first color component of an input image, and can couple them into the substrate. The second ICG region can receive input beams of light corresponding to a second color component of the input image, and can couple them into the substrate. The pupil expander and extraction gratings can replicate the in-coupled beams and out-couple them from the substrate. The first and second ICG regions can be provided at angularly separated locations around the substrate. The eyepiece waveguide can be capable of reducing color distortion in an output image.

Abstract: Recesses are formed on a front side and a rear side of a waveguide. A solid porogen material is spun onto the front side and the rear side and fills the recesses. First front and rear cap layers are then formed on raised formations of the waveguide and on the solid porogen material. The entire structure is then heated and the solid porogen material decomposes to a porogen gas. The first front and rear cap layers are porous to allow the porogen gas to escape and air to enter into the recesses. The air maximizes a difference in refractive indices between the high-index transparent material of the waveguide and the air to promote reflection in the waveguide from interfaces between the waveguide and the air.

Abstract: An eyepiece includes a substrate and an in-coupling grating patterned on a single side of the substrate. A first grating coupler is patterned on the single side of the substrate and has a first grating pattern. The first grating coupler is optically coupled to the in-coupling grating. A second grating coupler is patterned on the single side of the substrate adjacent to the first grating coupler. The second grating coupler has a second grating pattern different from the first grating pattern. The second grating coupler is optically coupled to the in-coupling grating.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece waveguide can include an optically transmissive substrate with an input coupling grating (ICG) region. The ICG region can receive a beam of light and couple the beam into the substrate in a guided propagation mode. The eyepiece waveguide can also include a combined pupil expander-extractor (CPE) grating region that receives the beam of light from the ICG region and alters the propagation direction of the beam with a first interaction and out-couples the beam with a second interaction. The diffractive features of the CPE grating region can be arranged in rows and columns of alternating higher and lower quadrilateral surfaces or the diffractive features can comprise diamond shaped raised ridges. The eyepiece waveguide can also include one or more recycler grating regions.

Abstract: A head-mounted display system includes: a head mounted display frame; a first eyepiece supported by the frame, the first eyepiece including a first substrate composed of a crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a first orientation with respect to the frame, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first eyepiece further including a first in-coupling element including a grating on the first surface, and a first out-coupling element including a grating on the first surface and/or a grating on the second surface; and a second eyepiece including a second substrate composed of the crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a second orientation with respect to the frame different from the first orientation, a second in-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate, and a second out-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate.

Abstract: A head-mounted display system includes: a head mounted display frame; a first eyepiece supported by the frame, the first eyepiece including a first substrate composed of a crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a first orientation with respect to the frame, the substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first eyepiece further including a first in-coupling element including a grating on the first surface, and a first out-coupling element including a grating on the first surface and/or a grating on the second surface; and a second eyepiece including a second substrate composed of the crystalline, transparent material having crystallographic axes in a second orientation with respect to the frame different from the first orientation, a second in-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate, and a second out-coupling element on either surface of the second substrate.

Abstract: Very high refractive index (n>2.2) lightguide substrates enable the production of 70° field of view eyepieces with all three color primaries in a single eyepiece layer. Disclosed herein are viewing optics assembly architectures that make use of such eyepieces to reduce size and cost, simplifying manufacturing and assembly, and better-accommodating novel microdisplay designs.

Abstract: Recesses are formed on a front side and a rear side of a waveguide. A solid porogen material is spun onto the front side and the rear side and fills the recesses. First front and rear cap layers are then formed on raised formations of the waveguide and on the solid porogen material. The entire structure is then heated and the solid porogen material decomposes to a porogen gas. The first front and rear cap layers are porous to allow the porogen gas to escape and air to enter into the recesses. The air maximizes a difference in refractive indices between the high-index transparent material of the waveguide and the air to promote reflection in the waveguide from interfaces between the waveguide and the air.

Abstract: Waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 and methods of patterning waveguides are disclosed. Patterned waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 can be incorporated in display devices, such as, for example wearable display devices to project virtual images to a viewer. A waveguide may be transparent and may comprise a substrate comprising a first material having a first refractive index greater than about 2.0. Diffractive features may be formed, on the substrate, of a second material having a second refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index. A third material may be disposed over the diffractive features and may have a third refractive index that is higher than the second refractive index.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for fabrication of waveguides as optical devices or for use in optical devices, with the waveguides customized to have a desired thickness variation. Techniques can employ inkjet-based lithography to compensate for thickness variations in the substrate used to manufacture the optical devices, and/or create custom variations in the thickness to achieve various optical properties in the resulting device. In some implementations, a curvature can also be applied to one or both surfaces of the substrate, to achieve desired optical performance and/or enhance fit of a wearable optical device. The optical devices created using the techniques described herein are suitable for use in virtual reality, augmented reality, and/or other suitable optical applications. The optical devices may be created on flexible (e.g., polymer) or more rigid (e.g., glass) substrates, with the thickness of the substrate being customizable using a jettable and curable polymer resin or photoresist.

Abstract: This disclosure generally describes methods and systems for fabrication of high-quality surface relief waveguides for eyepieces. In particular, this disclosure describes techniques for manufacturing waveguides having surface relief features, such as diffractive gratings to achieve various optical effects, using nanolithographic imprinting techniques that reduce or eliminate the presence of gaps in the imprinted features through use of optimized drop patterns for dispensing photoresist. Moreover, the disclosure also describes techniques for manufacturing surface relief waveguides having a gradation, e.g., a substantially continuous grade or slope, between zones that have different residual layer thicknesses of the dispensed photoresist, and/or between zones having surface features of different height (or depth). Such gradation can reduce or eliminate adverse optical effects that may be caused by a more abrupt transition between zones, and increase the optical efficiency of the completed waveguide.