A holographic recording system includes a linear translation stage configured to position a holographic material layer, a light source configured to emit a laser beam, a beam splitting subsystem configured to split the laser beam into a first light beam and a second light beam and direct the second light beam towards the holographic material layer, a spatial-light modulator configured to implement a fringe pattern that modulates the first light beam to generate an object beam, a filter configured to filter the object beam, a demagnification optical subsystem configured to demagnify the object beam, and a switchable grating stack configurable to direct the object beam to a set of directions towards the holographic material layer to interfere with the second light beam. In some embodiments, the switchable grating stack includes a plurality of polarization gratings and/or a plurality of switchable waveplates arranged in a stack.

There is provided an illumination device comprising: a laser; a waveguide comprising at least first and second transparent lamina; a first grating device for coupling light from the laser into a TIR path in the waveguide; a second grating device for coupling light from the TIR path out of the waveguide; and a third grating device for applying a variation of at least one of beam deflection, phase retardation or polarization rotation across the wavefronts of the TIR light. The first second and third grating devices are each sandwiched by transparent lamina.

An array of optical resonators comprises at least a first type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a first wavelength, and a second type of optical resonators each having a resonant response to an optical field at a second wavelength, being different from the first wavelength. The resonant responses can be selected to reduce chromatic aberrations, or to shape a profile of a light beam, or to selectively switch a near field beam.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods including polarization sorting metasurface microlens array devices. In certain embodiments, a polarization imaging device is provided. The polarization imaging device includes: a source of image light; a metasurface lenslet array comprising a plurality of repeating metasurface lenslets, where the plurality of repeating metasurface lenslets comprise a plurality of first metasurface lenslets configured to diffract the image light into a first polarization light in a first direction and a second polarization light in a second direction; an image sensor positioned in the optical path of the first polarization light and the second polarization light, and where the image sensor includes a plurality of image sensing units including a first image sensing unit positioned to sense the first polarization light and a second image sensing unit positioned to sense the second polarization light.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for determining a range to an object in a fluid. The system includes a polarized light source directed to the object in the fluid, a first imaging sensor, a second imaging sensor, and at least one processor. The at least one processor characterizes a depolarization rate of the fluid and determines the range to the object. The method includes generating polarized light via a polarized light source, polarizing an imager relative to the polarized light, transmitting the polarized light from the polarized light source into the fluid, receiving reflected light from the object, characterizing a depolarization rate of the fluid, based, at least in part, on the reflected light, and determining the range to the object, based, at least in part, on the depolarization rate of the fluid.

A device includes a polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (“PS-BPLC”) layer. The device also includes an alignment structure coupled with the PS-BPLC layer. LC molecules disposed in contact with the alignment structure are configured to have a spatially varying in-plane orientation pattern that is at least partially defined by the alignment structure. The PS-BPLC layer is configured to forwardly deflect a polarized light having a predetermined handedness, and transmit a polarized light having a handedness that is orthogonal to the predetermined handedness.

A device is provided. The device includes a polarization hologram polymer layer having a wavy surface, an optic axis of the polarization hologram polymer layer being configured with a spatially varying orientation in a first predetermined in-plane direction. The device also includes a compensation layer disposed at the wavy surface of the polarization hologram polymer layer and configured to compensate for the wavy surface in shape.

In one aspect, an optical device comprises a plurality of waveguides formed over one another and having formed thereon respective diffraction gratings, wherein the respective diffraction gratings are configured to diffract visible light incident thereon into respective waveguides, such that visible light diffracted into the respective waveguides propagates therewithin. The respective diffraction gratings are configured to diffract the visible light into the respective waveguides within respective field of views (FOVs) with respect to layer normal directions of the respective waveguides. The respective FOVs are such that the plurality of waveguides are configured to diffract the visible light within a combined FOV that is continuous and greater than each of the respective FOVs.

A device includes a display configured to generate an image light. The device also includes a waveguide optically coupled with the display and configured to guide the image light to an exit pupil of the device. The waveguide includes a grating including a birefringent material, and a birefringence of the grating is configured to increase along a pupil-expanding direction of the device.

A near eye display (NED) includes multiple PBP optical elements combined with one or more C-plates to improve optical angular performance. The PBP optical elements may be configured for beam steering or for focusing light to a point. A C-plate may reduce or eliminate an undesirable polarization phase shift introduced by the PBP optical elements to angular, off-axis light. Birefringence of the PBP optical elements produces such a polarization phase shift. A C-plate provides an additional polarization phase shift that is opposite to the extra polarization phase shift by the PBP optical elements. Thus, the additional polarization phase shift by the C-plate at least partially reduces the phase shift by the PBP element.