An input coupler component, optical display system and electronics apparatus are disclosed. The input coupler component, comprisesing: an input polarization volume grating, which is disposed to deflect an. input polarized electromagnetic wave into a waveguide in a total internal reflection manner and an input polarization management layer, which. adjusts the polarization. of the deflected electromagnetic wave to a polarization state different from that of electromagnetic wave to be deflected by the input polarization volume grating,

Provided is an image display apparatus that has a small overall apparatus volume and can be miniaturized. The image display apparatus includes an image display element; a light guide plate on which light emitted by the image display element is incident and which internally and totally reflects the light satisfying a total reflection condition to guide the light; and a retroreflective element that is provided on a surface of the light guide plate and retroreflects the light guided in the light guide plate.

A multilayer metalens includes a substrate having first, second, and third axes that are perpendicular to each other. A first layer of antennas is arranged, relative to the third axis, on the substrate. Each antenna of the first layer of antennas is rotated relative to the first and second axes based on a position of each antenna of the first layer of antennas along the first and second axes. A second layer of antennas is arranged, in the third axis, on the first layer of antennas. Each antenna of the second layer of antennas is rotated relative to the first and second axes based on a position of each antenna of the second layer of antennas along the first and second axes. Each antenna in the first and second layers of antennas has, in a plane parallel to a top of the substrate an elongated shape. Each antenna in the first layer of antennas has a different rotation relative to the first and second axes than an antenna in the second layer of antennas that is located, relative to the third axis, adjacent to the respective antenna in the first layer of antennas.

Techniques for operating an optical system are disclosed. World light may be linearly polarized along a first axis. When the optical system is operating in accordance with a first state, a polarization of the world light may be rotated by 90 degrees, the world light may be linearly polarized along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and zero net optical power may be applied to the world light. When the optical system is operating in accordance with a second state, virtual image light may be projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system, the world light and the virtual image light may be linearly polarized along the second axis, a polarization of the virtual image light may be rotated by 90 degrees, and non-zero net optical power may be applied to the virtual image light.

An optical system includes a substrate and a polarization volume hologram (PVH) composite film formed over the substrate. The PVH composite film includes a first PVH layer formed over the substrate and having a helix twist of a first handedness, and a second PVH layer coupled to the first PVH layer and having a helix twist of a second handedness orthogonal to the first handedness. The first PVH layer is configured to reflect and converge circularly polarized light having the first handedness. The second PVH layer is configured to reflect and converge circularly polarized light having the second handedness.

An optical device includes a stack of multiple grating structures, each of which includes a plurality of sublayers of liquid crystal material. Each sublayer of liquid crystal material includes laterally extending repeating units, each formed of a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The repeating units of the liquid crystal layers are lateral offset from one another, and defined a tilt angle. The grating structures forming the stack of grating structure have tilt angles of different magnitudes. The grating structures may be configured to redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths. Advantageously, the different tilt angles of the stack of grating structures allows for highly efficient diffraction of light incident on the grating structures at a wide range of incident angles.

An optical waveguide comprises at least two TIR surface and contains a grating. Input TIR light with a first angular range along a first propagation direction undergoes at least two diffractions at the grating. Each diffraction directs light into a unique TIR angular range along a second propagation direction.

An optical component includes a substrate and a metasurface comprising one or more linearly birefringent elements. The linearly birefringent elements define a grating configured to implement parallel polarization analysis for a plurality of polarization orders for incident light of an arbitrary polarization.

Methods, systems and devices for diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems allowing electronically pointing and focusing light at different focal planes. The system can be incorporated into a variety of optical schemes for providing electrical control of transmission. In another embodiment, the system comprises diffractive waveplates of different functionality to provide a system for controlling not only focusing but other propagation properties of light including direction, phase profile, and intensity distribution. The diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems are applicable to optical communication systems.

Optical beam steering and focusing systems, devices, and methods that utilize diffractive waveplates are improved to produce high efficiency at large beam deflection angles, particularly around normal incidence, by diffractive waveplate architectures comprising a special combination of liquid crystal polymer diffractive waveplate both layers with internal twisted structure and at a layer with uniform structure.