A polarization diffraction element comprising a film including a liquid crystalline material having photosensitivity, the film having at least one hologram recorded therein, and thereby having a property as a fork-shaped polarization grating having an anisotropic structure in which an optical axis continuously rotates toward a direction of a grating vector.

A first layer of anisotropic material extends along a first plane and includes anisotropic components being parallel to a second plane non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the first plane. The anisotropic components are arranged in cycloidal or helical patterns. The cycloidal or helical patterns define one or more Bragg planes that are non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the first plane and either substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to the second plane.

A polarization volume hologram (PVH) lens includes a PVH layer having a freeform design. The PVH layer includes a first region and a second region having different optical properties.

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.

A method for producing a volume hologram with at least one first area in a first color and at least one second area in a second color includes, providing a volume hologram layer made of a photopolymer; arranging a master with a surface structure on the volume hologram layer; exposing the master using coherent light, wherein light which is incident on at least one first partial area of the surface of the master is diffracted or reflected in the direction of the at least one first area of the volume hologram layer and light which is incident on at least one second partial area of the surface of the master is diffracted or reflected in the direction of the at least one second area of the volume hologram, and wherein the light diffracted or reflected by the first and second partial areas differs in at least one optical property.

A rotational geometric phase hologram has geometric phase optical elements (GPOEs) serially cascaded along a common optical axis to form a GPOE cascade used for receiving a linearly-polarized light beam and generating output light beams at an exit surface of the last GPOE. Interference occurred in the output light beams creates a polarization interference pattern on the exit surface. A photoalignment substrate, when positioned in close proximity to the exit surface, records the pattern. Advantageously, each GPOE is rotatable about the common optical axis. Respective rotation angles of the GPOEs are determined according to a spatially-varying linear polarization orientation distribution selected to be generated for the polarization interference pattern. Particularly, the respective rotation angles are reconfigurable to provide the periodicity required for the spatially-varying linear polarization orientation distribution over a range of allowed periodicities while keeping the periodicity of spatially-varying optic axis orientation distribution of each GPOE to be fixed.

A display device is configured to be operable in a normal mode that blocks ambient light or a see-through mode that allows ambient light to be visible to a user. The display device includes an emission surface configured to output image light, a switchable window configurable to block ambient light in the normal mode or to transmit ambient light in the see-through mode, and an optical assembly. The optical assembly includes a first region configured to receive image light from the emission surface and to direct the image light toward the eyes of a user. The optical assembly also includes a second region configured to receive ambient light from the switchable window and to allow at least a portion of the ambient light to pass through. A method of setting the display device in normal mode or see-through mode is also disclosed.

Photosensitive polymers for recording volume holograms, anisotropic volume holograms, and corresponding volume holographic elements are described herein.

A method of manufacturing a thin film optical apparatus includes providing a substrate and applying an alignment layer over the substrate. The alignment layer ranges from about 50 to 100 nm in thickness. The method includes imprinting a hologram with a desired optic pattern onto the alignment layer and applying at least one layer of mesogen material over the alignment layer.

An optical assembly includes a partial reflector that is optically coupled with a first polarization volume holographic element. The partial reflector is capable of receiving first light having a first circular polarization and transmitting a portion of the first light having a first circular polarization. The first polarization volume holographic element is configured to receive the first portion of the first light and reflect the first portion of the first light as second light having the first circular polarization. The partial reflector is capable of receiving the second light and reflecting a first portion of the second light as third light having a second circular polarization opposite to the first polarization. The first polarization volume holographic element is configured to receive the third light having the second circular polarization and transmit the third light having the second circular polarization.