Light emitting systems and optical systems including a light emitting system and a lens system are described. The light emitting system includes a pixelated light source having a plurality of discrete spaced apart pixels, and includes a plurality of light redirecting elements, each light redirecting element corresponding to a different pixel in the plurality of pixels. The light redirecting elements may be adapted to alter one or both of a central ray direction and a divergence angle of light received from the corresponding pixel. A lens system disposed to receive light from the light emitting system may include a reflective polarizer and a partial reflector.

A camera including an aperture, an image recording device, a reflective polarizer disposed between the aperture and the image recording device, a partial reflector disposed between the reflective polarizer and the image recording device, and a quarter wave retarder disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector. The reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes.

An image display device of the present disclosure includes an image light generating device, a first, a second, a third, and a fourth optical unit. A first intermediate image is formed between the first and the third optical unit. A pupil is formed between the second and the fourth optical unit. A second intermediate image is formed between the third and the fourth optical unit. An exit pupil is formed at an opposite side of the fourth optical unit from the third optical unit. The image light generating device includes a first, a second, a third light emitting panel, and a color synthesis element. The color synthesis element is constituted of a cross dichroic prism including a first and a second dichroic film that intersect with each other. Each of the first and the second dichroic film does not have a polarization separation characteristic.

An optical system including at least a first lens, a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer is described. The optical system has an optical axis such that a light ray propagating along the optical axis passes through the first lens the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer without being substantially refracted. At least one major surface of the optical system is rotationally asymmetric about the optical axis. A major surface of the optical system may have a first portion defined by a first equation and a second portion adjacent the first portion defined by a different equation. The first lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.

A freeform imaging system with a spectrometer and telescope components optically connected and optimized to increase the spectral and spatial resolution capabilities. Many embodiments of the system are capable of producing a spectral resolution of approximately 1 nm and a spatial resolution less than 30m such that the imaging system can be used to accurately capture and measure point source plumes of various atmospheric gases including CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2, CO, N.sub.2O, and H.sub.2O.

Apparatus for and method of aligning optical components such as beam splitters in an optical pulse stretcher in which a landing spot of a beam which has traversed a portion of the optical beam splitter and a coincident landing spot of a beam split from a retroreflected input beam are made to align on a target spot. Also disclosed is an apparatus and method for aligning the retroreflector to facilitate proper beam alignment. A fluorescent material may be used to render a beam landing spot visible.

Optical systems for displaying an image are described. The optical systems include spaced apart first and second optical lenses. A partial reflector is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the first optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature in a range from 20 mm to 200 mm. A reflective polarizer is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the second optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature in a range from 14 mm to 250 mm. A retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector. The first optical lens can have an optical birefringence of less than 15 nm/cm and the second optical lens can have an optical birefringence of greater than 15 nm/cm. A method of fabricating an optical assembly is described.

An optical system including at least a first lens, a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer is described. The optical system has an optical axis such that a light ray propagating along the optical axis passes through the first lens the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer without being substantially refracted. At least one major surface of the optical system is rotationally asymmetric about the optical axis. A major surface of the optical system may have a first portion defined by a first equation and a second portion adjacent the first portion defined by a different equation. The first lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.

An optical device, such as a head mounted display, includes a display that emits light, a reflector, and a partially reflective circular polarizer (RCP) positioned between the reflector and a user's eye or eyes. The reflector can be partially reflective. The partially reflective circular polarizer, the reflector, or both, can be curved. Light from the display is reflected one or more times by the reflector. The RCP can include one or more of a quarter-wave plate (QWP), a reflective polarizer layer, a linear polarizer, a supportive substrate, and an anti-reflective film. The reflector can include a mirror coating and an anti-reflection coating.

A lens has a first transmissive surface, a reflective surface, and a second transmissive surface sequentially arranged from a demagnifying side toward a magnifying side. The first transmissive surface and the reflective surface are located at the lower side of an imaginary axis extending in an axis-Z direction, and the second transmissive surface is located at the upper side of the imaginary axis. The reflective surface has a concave shape, and the second transmissive surface has a convex shape protruding toward the magnifying side. An imaginary line that connects an upper intersection to a lower intersection inclines with respect to an imaginary vertical line perpendicular to the imaginary axis in a plane YZ.