Abstract: Methods and systems for manufacturing an optical waveguide include depositing an adhesion promoting layer on a substrate. Multiple curable resist droplets are dispensed on the adhesion promoting layer. The adhesion promoting layer is disposed between and contacts the substrate and the curable resist droplets. The curable resist droplets define an optical eyepiece layer such that a zero residual layer thickness (RLT) region of the optical eyepiece layer is free of the curable resist droplets. The optical eyepiece layer is incised from the substrate to form the optical waveguide.

Abstract: An augmented reality headset includes a projector and an eyepiece waveguide stack optically coupled to the projector. The eyepiece waveguide stack includes: a first eyepiece waveguide including a first incoupling diffractive optical element and a first combined pupil expander; and a second eyepiece waveguide including a second incoupling diffractive optical element and a second combined pupil expander. The second incoupling diffractive optical element is laterally offset from the first incoupling diffractive optical element in a lateral direction.

Abstract: An augmented reality system includes a projector and projection optics coupled to the projector. The augmented reality system also includes an eyepiece waveguide including hybrid diffractive structure including: one or more first nanofeatures having first material with a first index of refraction; and one or more second nanofeatures having a second material with a second index of refraction.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a blazed diffraction grating comprises providing a master template substrate and imprinting periodically repeating lines on the master template substrate in a plurality of master template regions. In some embodiments, the periodically repeating lines in different ones of the master template regions extend in different directions. The method additionally comprises using at least one of the master template regions as a master template to imprint at least one blazed diffraction grating pattern on a grating substrate. In some embodiments, the method further comprises coating the periodically repeating lines with a material having a greater hardness than the material that forms the lines.

Abstract: An apparatus including a set of three illumination sources disposed in a first plane. Each of the set of three illumination sources is disposed at a position in the first plane offset from others of the set of three illumination sources by 120 degrees measured in polar coordinates. The apparatus also includes a set of three waveguide layers disposed adjacent the set of three illumination sources. Each of the set of three waveguide layers includes an incoupling diffractive element disposed at a lateral position offset by 180 degrees from a corresponding illumination source of the set of three illumination sources.

Abstract: Plasma etching processes for forming patterns in high refractive index glass substrates, such as for use as waveguides, are provided herein. The substrates may be formed of glass having a refractive index of greater than or equal to about 1.65 and having less than about 50 wt % SiO2. The plasma etching processes may include both chemical and physical etching components. In some embodiments, the plasma etching processes can include forming a patterned mask layer on at least a portion of the high refractive index glass substrate and exposing the mask layer and high refractive index glass substrate to a plasma to remove high refractive index glass from the exposed portions of the substrate. Any remaining mask layer is subsequently removed from the high refractive index glass substrate. The removal of the glass forms a desired patterned structure, such as a diffractive grating, in the high refractive index glass substrate.

Abstract: An optical device includes a liquid crystal layer having a first plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first pattern and a second plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second pattern. The first and the second pattern are separated from each other by a distance of about 20 nm to about 100 nm along a longitudinal or a transverse axis of the liquid crystal layer. The first and the second plurality of liquid crystal molecules are configured as first and second grating structures that can redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical element includes providing a substrate, forming a castable material coupled to the substrate, and casting the castable material using a mold. The method also includes curing the castable material and removing the mold. The optical element includes a planar region and a clear aperture adjacent the planar region and characterized by an optical power.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes selecting one or more parameters of a nanolayer to be applied to a substrate for changing an effective refractive index of the substrate and imprinting the nanolayer on the substrate to change the effective refractive index of the substrate such that a relative amount of light transmittable through the substrate is changed by a selected amount.

Abstract: Architectures are provided for selectively incoupling one or more streams of light from a multiplexed light stream into a waveguide. The multiplexed light stream can have light with different characteristics (e.g., different wavelengths and/or different polarizations). The waveguide can comprise in-coupling elements that can selectively couple one or more streams of light from the multiplexed light stream into the waveguide while transmitting one or more other streams of light from the multiplexed light stream.

Abstract: Improved diffractive optical elements for use in an eyepiece for an extended reality system, The diffractive optical elements comprise a diffraction structure having a waveguide substrate, a surface grating positioned on a first side of the waveguide substrate, and one or more optical layer pairs disposed between the waveguide substrate and the surface grating. Each optical layer pair comprises a low index layer and a high index layer disposed directly on an exterior side of the low index layer.

Abstract: An apparatus including a set of three illumination sources disposed in a first plane. Each of the set of three illumination sources is disposed at a position in the first plane offset from others of the set of three illumination sources by 120 degrees measured in polar coordinates. The apparatus also includes a set of three waveguide layers disposed adjacent the set of three illumination sources. Each of the set of three waveguide layers includes an incoupling diffractive element disposed at a lateral position offset by 180 degrees from a corresponding illumination source of the set of three illumination sources.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for augmented reality applications includes a substrate and a set of incoupling diffractive optical elements coupled to the substrate. A first subset of the set of incoupling diffractive optical elements is operable to diffract light into the substrate along a first range of propagation angles and a second subset of the set of incoupling diffractive optical elements is operable to diffract light into the substrate along a second range of propagation angles. The eyepiece waveguide also includes a combined pupil expander diffractive optical element coupled to the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure describes an improved drop-on-demand, controlled volume technique for dispensing resist onto a substrate, which is then imprinted to create a patterned optical device suitable for use in optical applications such as augmented reality and/or mixed reality systems. The technique enables the dispensation of drops of resist at precise locations on the substrate, with precisely controlled drop volume corresponding to an imprint template having different zones associated with different total resist volumes. Controlled drop size and placement also provides for substantially less variation in residual layer thickness across the surface of the substrate after imprinting, compared to previously available techniques. The technique employs resist having a refractive index closer to that of the substrate index, reducing optical artifacts in the device.

Abstract: In an example method for forming a variable optical viewing optics assembly (VOA) for a head mounted display, a prepolymer is deposited onto a substrate having a first optical element for the VOA. Further, a mold is applied to the prepolymer to conform the prepolymer to a curved surface of the mold on a first side of the prepolymer and to conform the prepolymer to a surface of the substrate on a second side of the prepolymer opposite the first side. Further, the prepolymer is exposed to actinic radiation sufficient to form a solid polymer from the prepolymer, such that the solid polymer forms an ophthalmic lens having a curved surface corresponding to the curved surface of the mold, and the substrate and the ophthalmic lens form an integrated optical component. The mold is released from the solid polymer, and the VOA is assembled using the integrated optical component.

Abstract: An elastomeric glove includes a superimposed texture provided on a surface of the elastomeric glove, including front and back of a palm region, a thumb region and fingers region, and the superimposed texture includes multiple units of a stellate convex polygon distributed on the surface of the elastomeric glove, with a tip at the center and folded at intersects of the polygon for gripping, diverting and channeling fluid away from the surface of the elastomeric glove. A synthetic latex formulation for producing the elastomeric glove is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical element includes providing a substrate, forming a castable material coupled to the substrate, and casting the castable material using a mold. The method also includes curing the castable material and removing the mold. The optical element comprises a planar region and a clear aperture adjacent the planar region and characterized by an optical power.

Abstract: Fabricating a high refractive index photonic device includes disposing a polymerizable composition on a first surface of a first substrate and contacting the polymerizable composition with a first surface of a second substrate, thereby spreading the polymerizable composition on the first surface of the first substrate. The polymerizable composition is cured to yield a polymeric structure having a first surface in contact with the first surface of the first substrate, a second surface opposite the first surface of the polymeric structure and in contact with the first surface of the second substrate, and a selected residual layer thickness between the first surface of the polymeric structure and the second surface of the polymeric structure in the range of 10 ?m to 1 cm. The polymeric structure is separated from the first substrate and the second substrate to yield a monolithic photonic device having a refractive index of at least 1.6.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection within the waveguide. The in-coupled 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 reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for displays, such as for a head wearable device. An example display can include an infrared illumination layer, the infrared illumination layer including a substrate, one or more LEDs disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a first encapsulation layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate, where the encapsulation layer can include a nano-patterned surface. In some examples, the nano-patterned surface can be configured to improve a visible light transmittance of the illumination layer. In one or more examples, embodiments disclosed herein may provide a robust illumination layer that can reduce the haze associated with an illumination layer.