Embodiments include an optical system that may be included in a waveguide display. An example apparatus includes an image generator configured to generate an image having an upper portion and a lower portion. A waveguide is provided with an in-coupler and an out-coupler, the in-coupler being arranged to couple the upper and lower portions of the image along an optical path to the out-coupler. Along the optical path, at least first and second polarization-selective diffraction gratings are configured to cooperatively direct the upper portion of the image toward the out-coupler. At least third and fourth polarization-selective diffraction gratings are configured to cooperatively direct the lower portion of the image toward the out-coupler.

A three-dimensional display system and methods for forming 3D images are disclosed. In one version, a diffusion screen is formed at a predetermined location.sub.1 of a set of predetermined locations 1-n within an image chamber. The diffusion screen is illuminated with visible light indicative of a cross-sectional image.sub.1 of a set of a plurality of cross-sectional images 1-N of a three-dimensional image at the predetermined location.sub.1 within the image chamber. The diffusion screen is erased and the method is repeated for cross-sectional images 2-N and predetermined locations 2-n of the three-dimensional image at a scan rate sufficient to produce a representation of the three-dimensional image in the image chamber.

The present application discloses a beam combining device, which includes a reflective diffractive grating surface configured to combine a first, a second and a third incident light beam having different colors to a single diffracted mixed-color light beam when impinging on the reflective diffractive grating surface, wherein a profile of the grating surface is configured according to an optimization criterion with respect to a diffraction efficiency.

In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining systems feature multiple beam emitters each emitting an individual beam, as well as multiple micro-optics arrangements each disposed optically downstream from a beam emitter to intercept the beam emitted thereby and direct the beam toward a dispersive element for combination into a multi-wavelength output beam.

The present disclosure is directed to compact packaging for optical MEMS devices, such as one- and two-dimensional beam scanners. An embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure includes a light source and a MEMS-based scanning element for steering at least a portion of the light provided by the light source in at least one dimension as an output light signal, as well as one or more optical elements for collimating and/or redirecting light within a sealed chamber defined by the elements of a housing. In some embodiments, the one or more optical elements include a reflective lens that collimates the light provided by the light source while simultaneously correcting phase-front error imparted by the scanning element while steering the output beam.

A coherently beam combining (CBC) fiber laser amplifier system including beam shaper array assembly and a beam source that provides a plurality of beams having a low fill factor profile. The assembly includes an input beam shaper array having a plurality of input cells positioned adjacent to each other that are shaped to cause the beam to expand as it propagates away from the input array to be converted from the low fill factor profile to a high fill factor profile and cause the profile to taper to a lower value at a perimeter of each input array cell. The assembly further includes an output beam shaper array having a plurality of output cells positioned adjacent to each other that are shaped to cause the beam to stop expanding so that the output array provides a plurality of adjacent beams with minimal overlap and a minimal gap between the beams.

A retina scanning type display apparatus includes a scanning portion, a deflection member, and a light flux diameter expanding element. An incidence angle range in a first incidence direction with respect to an eye from the deflection member is broader than an incidence angle range in a second incidence direction, and, in the light flux diameter expanding element, an expanding magnification of light flux diameter in a first expanding direction, which corresponds to the first incidence direction, is greater than an expanding magnification of light flux diameter in a second expanding direction, which corresponds to the second incidence direction. In addition, in the scanning mirror, a width in a first scanning direction, which corresponds to the first expanding direction, is narrower than a width in a second scanning direction, which corresponds to the second expanding direction.

Unidirectional grating-based backlighting includes a light guide and a diffraction grating at a surface of the light guide. The light guide is to guide a light beam and the diffraction grating is configured to couple out a portion of the guided light beam using diffractive coupling and to direct the coupled-out portion away from the light guide surface as a primary light beam at a principal angular direction. The unidirectional grating-based backlighting further includes a reflective island in the light guide between the light guide surface and an opposite surface of the light guide to reflectively redirect a diffractively produced, secondary light beam out of the light guide in a direction of the primary light beam.

The laser system may include first and second laser apparatuses and a beam delivery device. The first laser apparatus may be provided so as to emit a first laser beam to the beam delivery device in a first direction. The second laser apparatus may be provided so as to emit a second laser beam to the beam delivery device in a direction substantially parallel to the first direction. The beam delivery device may be configured to bundle the first and second laser beams and to emit the first and second laser beams from the beam delivery device to a beam delivery direction different from the first direction.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a phase modulator, a lighting system, and a projector that allow for improving diffraction efficiency in a light phase modulation element. The phase modulator according to the present disclosure includes a light phase modulation element that has a plurality of pixels arranged with the pixel pitches p being different from each other to have a pixel structure suppressing occurrence of high-order diffraction light and that modulates a phase of light with respect to each of the pixels. Moreover, the phase modulator according to the present disclosure includes a capturing optical system that captures a plurality of fluxes of high-order diffraction light generated in each of the pixels.