Architectures are provided for selectively incoupling one or more streams of light from a multiplexed light stream into a waveguide. The multiplexed light stream can have light with different characteristics (e.g., different wavelengths and/or different polarizations). The waveguide can comprise in-coupling elements that can selectively couple one or more streams of light from the multiplexed light stream into the waveguide while transmitting one or more other streams of light from the multiplexed light stream.

A method for providing a composite field of view includes providing two or more input light beams to a scanning mirror and scanning the two or more input light beams using the scanning mirror to provide a plurality of reflected light beams at different angles. Each of the plurality of reflected light beams is configured to provide an image in a respective field of view. The method also includes receiving the plurality of reflected light beams in a waveguide and projecting a plurality of output light beams from the waveguide to form a projected image in the composite field of view. The composite field of view is larger than the respective field of view provided by each of the two or more input light beams.

An image display system includes an optical subsystem configured to emit a first light beam and a second light beam, wherein the first light beam illuminates a first portion of a composite field of view and the second beam illuminates a second portion of the composite field of view. A scanning mirror is positioned to intercept and reflect the first light beam and the second light beam. The system also has a waveguide with at least one input coupling optical element for receiving the first light beam and the second light beam into the waveguide. The waveguide also has an output coupling optical element for projecting a plurality of output light beams derived from the first light beam and the second light beam from the waveguide to illuminate the composite field of view.

A fiber optic element of a fiber scanning system includes a motion actuator having longitudinal side members, an internal orifice, a first support region, a central region, and a second support region. The fiber optic element also includes a first fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice and having a first fiber joint as well as a second fiber optic cable passing through the internal orifice. The second fiber optic cable has a second fiber joint disposed in the central region and spliced to the first fiber joint, a second coupling region, a light delivery region, and a light emission tip. The light delivery region is characterized by a first diameter and the light emission tip is characterized by a second diameter less than the first diameter.

In an embodiment an optical arrangement includes a multicore fiber having at least a first fiber core configured to guide a first illumination light and a second fiber core configured to guide a second illumination light, wherein the multicore fiber comprises a fiber scanner configured to deflect the multicore fiber or the multicore fiber is followed by a mirror scanner; and a wavelength dispersive beam combiner configured to spatially superimpose the first illumination light and the second illumination light in an object space.

A waveguide display system may include an eyepiece waveguide that can have a first surface and a second surface, the waveguide including an incoupling diffractive optical element (DOE) and an outcoupling DOE. The waveguide display system may include a light source and a scanning mirror, and may include reflective and collimating optical elements. The incoupling DOE can be configured to selectively propagate incident light beams to the outcoupling DOE in the waveguide through total internal reflection (TIR).

A light-scanning endoscope is provided with: a light-scanner that causes an optical fiber to be vibrated; a controller that causes light to be emitted from the optical fiber with the same phase as the vibrations; an adjusting unit that adjusts a distortion correction amount on the basis of a shape of a row of irradiation positions of the light on an imaging subject; and a phase correcting unit that corrects the phase in which the light is emitted on the basis of the adjusted distortion correction amount.

An endoscope having an optical fiber scanning apparatus that includes an optical fiber a fixed end of which is fixed and a free end for emitting illumination light of which vibrates in a first direction and a second direction, a ferrule which includes a through hole including an opening on a distal end surface and fixes the optical fiber inserted through the through hole, a pair of first fixing members which sandwich and fix the optical fiber in the first direction, a pair of second fixing members which sandwich and fix the optical fiber in the second direction, and piezoelectric elements or a magnet configured to vibrate the optical fiber, in which a Young's modulus of the pair of first fixing members is smaller than a Young's modulus of the pair of second fixing members.

A fiber scanning system includes an actuator configured to have an actuator natural frequency, and a fiber optic scanning element coupled to the actuator. The fiber optic scanning element is configured to have a fiber natural frequency that is within a threshold of the actuator natural frequency, such that a displacement gain of the fiber optic scanning element as a function of operating frequency exhibits a first peak value at a first resonance frequency less than the fiber natural frequency, and a second peak value at a second resonance frequency greater than the fiber natural frequency.

Virtual 3D display apparatus has a display zone, an optical fiber assembly and a motor. The optical fiber assembly includes optical fibers each having an input end for entrance of light and an output end. There are light sources each at the input end of a respective optical fiber for generating a light signal that enters and travels along the optical fiber and is then emitted at the output end thereof. The emitted light signals together form a virtual 3D image in the display zone upon rotation of the optical fiber assembly by the motor. There are also control elements at the input ends of respective optical fibers, each for operation to make adjustment of the virtual 3D image based on a control signal that travels along the respective optical fiber, with the adjustment to be made to a part of the virtual 3D image associated with the same optical fiber.