An optical device includes a waveguide including a first medium, which is transparent and has a first index of refraction at a target wavelength and which has mutually-parallel first and second surfaces arranged so that light at the target wavelength propagates within the waveguide by internal reflection between the first and second surfaces. A coupling layer is disposed over the first surface of the waveguide and includes a second medium having a second index of refraction at the target wavelength, which is greater than the first index of refraction, and is patterned to define a periodic array of cylinders, which have respective cylinder axes perpendicular to the first surface and have respective heights and diameters that are smaller than the target wavelength, and which are spaced apart such that a distance between each of the cylinders and a neighboring cylinder in the array is less than the target wavelength.

A functionalized waveguide for a detector system is provided. A transparent base body of the waveguide has a partly transparent coupling-in region and a coupling-out region at a distance therefrom in a first direction. The coupling-in region includes at least two volume holograms, which each deflect only part of radiation coming from an object to be detected and striking the front side such that the deflected part, as coupled-in radiation in the base body, is propagated by reflections as far as the coupling-out region and strikes the coupling-out region. The volume holograms of the coupling-in region differ in that their deflection function has different spectral angular properties. The coupling-out region deflects at least part of the coupled-in radiation striking said region such that the deflected part exits the base body via the front side or rear side, in order to strike the detector system.

An optical transmitting module and a head mounted display device are provided. The optical transmitting module includes a waveguide and a first lens. The waveguide is located on a transmission path of an image beam. The waveguide includes a plurality of beam splitters configured to split the image beam the image beam into a first image beam and a second image beam. The second image beam reflected by the beam splitter is outputted from the waveguide, so as to display a virtual image. The first lens causes a plurality of virtual images displayed by a plurality of the second image beams reflected from different beam splitters at the same angle to coincide on a focal plane of the first lens. The head mounted display device can eliminate a ghost image phenomenon that occurs when the user observes the images displayed in a range closer to the eye.

A system comprising an illumination system to direct light from one or more light sources to a limiting output pupil of a projection optomechanical system, a liquid crystal on silicon display panel (LCOS) to modulate the light from the projection optomechanical system and to direct the modulated light back toward the projection optomechanical system, and an in-coupler to a combiner waveguide to receive the modulated light from the LCOS, after it passes through the projection optomechanical system. The system in one embodiment is designed so that the light that passes through the projection optomechanical system from the illumination system lands on the LCOS within the limiting output pupil of the projection optomechanical system.

In various embodiments, an illumination apparatus features spatially separated input and output regions, a light source, a phosphor for light conversion, and an out-coupling structure.

An electronic device may include a display that generates light for an optical system that redirects the light towards an eye box. The optical system may include a waveguide, a non-diffractive input coupler, a cross coupler, and an output coupler. The cross coupler may expand the light in a first direction. The cross coupler may perform an even number of diffractions on the light and may couple the light back into the waveguide at an angle suitable for total internal reflection. The output coupler may expand the light in a second direction while coupling the light out of the waveguide. The cross coupler may include surface relief gratings or holographic gratings embedded within the waveguide or formed in a separate substrate. The optical system may direct the light towards the eye box without chromatic dispersion and while supporting an expanded field of view and optical bandwidth.

A method of operating an eyepiece waveguide includes directing light from a projector to impinge on an incoupling grating (ICG). The method also includes diffracting a first fraction of the light from the projector into a first portion of the eyepiece waveguide, propagating the first fraction of the light into a second portion of the eyepiece waveguide, and diffracting the first fraction of the light out of the eyepiece waveguide. The method further includes diffracting a second fraction of the light from the projector into the second portion of the eyepiece waveguide, propagating the second fraction of the light into the first portion of the eyepiece waveguide, and diffracting the second fraction out of the eyepiece waveguide.

A waveguide illumination system employing an optically transmissive sheet, which is used to guide light using a total internal reflection, and a strip of heat-conducting printed circuit located near an edge of the sheet and having a major surface which portion is located in a space between two opposite edges of the sheet. The waveguide illumination system further includes a linear array of electrically interconnected side-emitting LED packages mounted to a major surface of the strip of heat-conducting printed circuit and optically coupled to the optically transmissive sheet within a light coupling area. A two-dimensional pattern of light extraction features is formed in at least one surface of the optically transmissive sheet such that a density of the light extraction features within the two-dimensional pattern increases with a distance from the light coupling area.

In various embodiments, an illumination apparatus features spatially separated input and output regions, a light source, a phosphor for light conversion, and an out-coupling structure.

A display subsystem for a virtual image generation system for use by an end user comprises a planar waveguide apparatus, an optical fiber, at least one light source configured for emitting light from a distal end of the optical fiber, and a collimation element mounted to a distal end of the optical fiber for collimating light from the optical fiber. The virtual image generation system further comprises a mechanical drive assembly to which the optical fiber is mounted to the drive assembly. The mechanical drive assembly is configured for displacing the distal end of the optical fiber, along with the collimation element, in accordance with a scan pattern. The virtual image generation system further comprises an optical waveguide input apparatus configured for directing the collimated light from the collimation element down the planar waveguide apparatus, such that the planar waveguide apparatus displays image frames to the end user.