A method for displaying virtual content to a user, the method includes determining an accommodation of the user's eyes. The method also includes delivering, through a first waveguide of a stack of waveguides, light rays having a first wavefront curvature based at least in part on the determined accommodation, wherein the first wavefront curvature corresponds to a focal distance of the determined accommodation. The method further includes delivering, through a second waveguide of the stack of waveguides, light rays having a second wavefront curvature, the second wavefront curvature associated with a predetermined margin of the focal distance of the determined accommodation.

A duplex wideband grating includes a first diffraction element and a second diffraction element. The first diffraction element and the second diffraction element may reside in a single volume or in two separate volumes. The first diffraction element may include a first set of Bragg planes, and the second diffraction element may include a second set of Bragg planes. The first diffraction element may be designed to have a peak diffraction efficiency at a first wavelength, and the second diffraction element may be designed to have a peak diffraction efficiency at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The first diffraction element and the second diffraction element may be designed to achieve a same angle of dispersion between wavelengths. The duplex wideband grating may have a broader bandwidth with higher average diffraction efficiency across the broader bandwidth than either the first diffraction element or the second diffraction element.

In some implementations, an optical device includes a two-zone vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with a set of emission zones configured to emit structured light forming a set of dots; a single-element collimating lens aligned to the two-zone VCSEL; and a tiling diffractive optical element (DOE) aligned to the single-element collimating lens, wherein the tiling DOE comprises a set of tile segments aligned to the set of emission zones, and wherein a tile segment, of the set of tile segments, is configured to project, from the set of emission zones toward portions of a target, the structured light forming the set of dots.

To improve brightness of image information visually recognized by a user while using plastic for a light guide plate. An image display element includes: a substrate made of resin; an incident diffraction grating that diffracts incident light; and an exit diffraction grating that emits the light, the incident diffraction grating being formed on a first surface of the substrate, the exit diffraction grating being formed on a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface of the substrate, and the exit diffraction grating being formed on one surface.

An object is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer in which an alignment film is repeatedly used and a liquid crystal compound in a liquid crystal layer can be sufficiently aligned. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer includes: an alignment film forming step of forming an alignment film on a support; a liquid crystal alignment layer alignment step of laminating a first liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on the alignment film and aligning the first liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal alignment layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned first liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal alignment layer; a liquid crystal layer alignment step of laminating a second liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer opposite to the alignment film and aligning the second liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned second liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal layer; and a liquid crystal layer separation step of separating the formed liquid crystal layer from the liquid crystal alignment layer, in which the liquid crystal layer alignment step to the liquid crystal layer separation step are repeated to repeatedly prepare the liquid crystal layer.

An object is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer in which an alignment film is repeatedly used and a liquid crystal compound in a liquid crystal layer can be sufficiently aligned. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer includes: an alignment film forming step of forming an alignment film on a support; a liquid crystal alignment film alignment step of laminating a first liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on the alignment film and aligning the first liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal alignment layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned first liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal alignment layer; a peeling step of laminating and immobilizing a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer opposite to the alignment film on an adherend and peeling the liquid crystal alignment layer from the alignment film at an interface between the liquid crystal alignment layer and the alignment film; a liquid crystal layer alignment step of laminating a second liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer from which the alignment film is peeled off and aligning the second liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned second liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal layer; and a liquid crystal layer separation step of separating the formed liquid crystal layer from the liquid crystal alignment layer, in which the liquid crystal layer alignment step to the liquid crystal layer separation step are repeated to repeatedly prepare the liquid crystal layer.

Provide are an optical element that can improve a utilization efficiency of light while increasing an optical path length, an image display unit, and a head-mounted display. The optical element includes, in the following order: a first absorptive linearly polarizing plate; a first reflective linearly polarizing plate; a first retardation plate; a partially reflecting mirror that allows transmission of a part of incident light and reflects a part of the incident light; a second retardation plate; and a second reflective linearly polarizing plate, in which a turning direction of circularly polarized light that is reflected from the first reflective linearly polarizing plate in a case where light transmits through the first retardation plate and is incident into the first reflective linearly polarizing plate is opposite to a turning direction of circularly polarized light that is reflected from the second reflective linearly polarizing plate in a case where light transmits through the second retardation plate and is incident into the second reflective linearly polarizing plate.

An illuminator for a display panel includes a light source for providing a light beam and a lightguide coupled to the light source for receiving and propagating the light beam along the substrate. The lightguide includes an array of out-coupling gratings that runs parallel to the array of pixels for out-coupling portions of the light beam from the lightguide such that the out-coupled light beam portions propagate through the substrate and produce an array of optical power density peaks at the array of pixels due to Talbot effect. A period of the array of peaks is an integer multiple of a pitch of the array of pixels.

An illuminator for a display panel includes a light source for providing a light beam and a lightguide coupled to the light source for receiving and propagating the light beam along the substrate. The lightguide includes an array of out-coupling gratings that runs parallel to the array of pixels for out-coupling portions of the light beam from the lightguide such that the out-coupled light beam portions propagate through the substrate and produce an array of optical power density peaks at the array of pixels due to Talbot effect. A period of the array of peaks is an integer multiple of a pitch of the array of pixels.

A method includes treating a surface of a substrate to cause the surface to include a hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic portion, providing a replication material over the hydrophilic portion, and imprinting the replication material to cause the replication material to have a predetermined characteristic.