An eyepiece for use in front of an eye of a viewer includes a waveguide having a surface and a diffractive optical element (DOE) optically coupled to the waveguide. The DOE includes a plurality of first ridges protruding from the surface of the waveguide and arranged as a periodic array having a period, each respective first ridge has a first height and a respective first width. The DOE also includes a plurality of second ridges, each respective second ridge protruding from a respective first ridge and having a second height greater than the first height and a respective second width less than the respective first width. At least one of the respective first width, the respective second width, or a respective ratio between the respective first width and the respective second width varies as a function of a distance from a first edge of the DOE.

A diffractive optic reflex sight (DORS) is provided for aiming devices in which a virtual image, such as a reticle, is produced and appears in the distance of a user's view when looking through the reflex sight. A light source illuminates a diffractive optical element (DOE) that includes a modulation pattern that generates a patterned illuminations corresponding with the virtual image. A reflective image combiner then reflects the patterned illumination so that the virtual image appears in the distance of the viewer's view. The DORS optical design system is mechanically and optically stable for precision aiming across a range of environmental conditions and in different use scenarios or applications including use in rapidly changing temperatures, varying light conditions, and a wide range of user proficiencies. The DORS optical design system is a readily manufacturable aiming and sighting device for a wide range of applications from handguns to astronomical telescopes.

This application provides an image display method and an image display apparatus, and is beneficial to improving uniformity of an image displayed by using a diffractive waveguide, thereby improving user experience. The method is applied to an apparatus including an optical engine and the diffractive waveguide and includes: obtaining uniformity data of a first image obtained by using the diffractive waveguide; determining to-be-compensated data of the optical engine based on the uniformity data; adjusting luminance distribution of a light source in the optical engine based on the to-be-compensated data; and displaying a second image by using the adjusted optical engine and the diffractive waveguide.

The disclosure relates to augmented reality devices, namely to near-field displays, to planar waveguides with diffractive optical elements and displays based on such planar waveguides. The architecture of diffractive optical elements, performed in a waveguide and a method for operating the architecture of diffractive optical elements, eliminating image dispersion and expanding the horizontal field of view are provided. The method for operating the architecture of diffractive optical elements, expanding the vertical field of view and a device for displaying an augmented reality containing the proposed architecture of diffractive optical elements are provided. The augmented reality glasses includes the proposed augmented reality display device.

A diffractive optical waveguide is provided, which comprises a waveguide substrate and a coupling-in grating, a coupling-out grating, and a coupling-in end light-return grating formed on the substrate, the coupling-in grating couples an input beam into the waveguide substrate and forms a first beam of light propagating toward the coupling-out grating and a second beam of light not propagating toward the coupling-out grating, the coupling-out grating couples at least a part of the light propagating therein out of the substrate, and the coupling-in end light-return grating diffracts the second beam of light so that it propagates toward the coupling-out grating. A display device having the above diffractive optical waveguide is also disclosed. By providing the coupling-in end light-return grating, optical coupling efficiency of the diffractive optical waveguide is improved, and the energy distribution uniformity of an output field of the diffractive optical waveguide is improved.

A method of fabricating an optical element, comprises fabricating a three-dimensional mold having a relief pattern complementary to a pattern of the optical element to be fabricated, contacting the relief pattern with a solidifiable transmissive material, and solidifying the material thereby forming a transmissive substrate having the pattern thereupon. The method also comprises contacting the transmissive substrate with one or more substances wherein a difference in refractive indices between the substance(s) and the transmissive substrate is less than about 0.1.

A method of fabricating an optical element, comprises fabricating a three-dimensional mold having a relief pattern complementary to a pattern of the optical element to be fabricated, contacting the relief pattern with a solidifiable transmissive material, and solidifying the material thereby forming a transmissive substrate having the pattern thereupon. The method also comprises contacting the transmissive substrate with one or more substances wherein a difference in refractive indices between the substance(s) and the transmissive substrate is less than about 0.1.

A holographic reality system and multiview display monitor a user position and provide virtual haptic feedback to the user. The holographic reality system includes a multiview display configured to display a multiview image, a position sensor configured to monitor the user position, and a virtual haptic feedback unit configured to provide the virtual haptic feedback. An extent of the virtual haptic feedback corresponds to an extent of a virtual control within the multiview image. The holographic reality multiview display includes an array of multiview pixels configured to provide different views of the multiview image by modulating directional light beams having directions corresponding to the different views and an array of multibeam elements configured to provide the directional light beams to corresponding multiview pixels.

An optical device combining a spectacle function with an augmented reality function adapted to let an ambient light beam enter an eye of a user is provided. The optical device includes a spectacle lens and a diffractive optical element. The spectacle lens has a first surface facing the eye and a second surface facing away from the eye. The diffractive optical element is disposed on the first surface of the spectacle lens or between the first surface and the second surface of the spectacle lens. The diffractive optical element has a third surface facing the eye and a fourth surface facing away from the eye. The diffractive optical element is a diffractive optical film or a diffractive optical plate. An augmented reality device is also provided.

Techniques for designing diffractive optical elements (DOEs) such as diffusers and other optical beam shaping elements can include designing a DOE unit cell on a smaller area than the overall area of the DOE, and then distributing the unit cell across the entire surface for the DOE. Height translations are introduced for at least some of the unit cells distributed across the surface, where the height translations correspond to respective phase translations for the intended operational wavelength of the DOE. In some instances, phase wrapping is introduced to translate the height variations among the unit cells into unit cells having sub-unit structures whose heights fall within a range that corresponds to a specified phase range at the operational wavelength.