Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for reconstructing three-dimensional objects with display zero order light suppression are provided. In one aspect, a method includes illuminating a display with light at an incident angle, a portion of the light illuminating display elements of the display, modulating the display elements of the display with a hologram corresponding to holographic data to diffract the portion of the light to form a holographic scene corresponding to the holographic data, and redirecting display zero order light away from the holographic scene to suppress the display zero order light in the holographic scene. The display zero order light includes reflected light from the display.

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for reconstructing three-dimensional objects with display zero order light suppression are provided. In one aspect, a method includes illuminating a display with light at an incident angle, a portion of the light illuminating display elements of the display, modulating the display elements of the display with a hologram corresponding to holographic data to diffract the portion of the light to form a holographic scene corresponding to the holographic data, and redirecting display zero order light away from the holographic scene to suppress the display zero order light in the holographic scene. The display zero order light includes reflected light from the display. The light includes a plurality of different colors of light.

A head worn imaging system includes a light source configured to generate a light beam. The system also includes a light guiding optical element having a thickness between 0.1 and 1.5 mm and configured to propagate at least a portion of the light beam by total internal reflection. The system further includes an entry portion and an exit portion of the light guiding optical element configured to selectively allow light addressing the exit portion to exit the light guiding optical element based on the angle of incidence of the light, the radius of curvature of the light and/or the wavelength of the light.

An optical combiner includes an optical substrate. An in-coupler grating is positioned to receive an incident light with a FOV and couple a first portion of the incident light into a first propagation path within the optical substrate and a second portion of the incident light into a second propagation path within the optical substrate. The first light portion includes light of a first color, while the second light portion excludes light of the first color. The optical combiner includes fold gratings to expand the first light portion and second light portion and direct the expanded light towards an out-coupler grating, which couples the expanded light out of the optical substrate at multiple exit pupils.

There are provided holographic optical elements (HOEs) and methods of making the same. An example of such methods includes recording a first hologram in a contiguous holographic recording medium of the HOE. The first hologram may receive a beam of light and direct at least a portion of the beam into a light guide to form an incoupled beam. The method also includes recording a second hologram in the contiguous holographic recording medium. The second hologram may receive at least a portion of the incoupled beam and direct the portion of the incoupled beam out of the light guide to form an outcoupled beam. In addition, the method includes affixing the holographic recording medium to the light guide.

This application relates to a see-through head-mounted display using recorded substrate-guided holographic continuous lens (SGHCL) and a microdisplay with narrow spectral band source or laser illumination. The high diffraction efficiency of the volume SGHCL creates very high luminance of the virtual image.

A backlight unit may include: a light source providing coherent light; a light guide plate having a light entrance surface on which light from the light source is incident and a light exit surface through which the light is output; a plurality of diffraction gratings (for example, a first input grating, a second input grating, and a third input grating) that are arranged in different regions of the light guide plate to sequentially diffract the light from the light source such that that the beam width of the light may increase as the light propagates in the light guide plate; and a diffraction grating (for example, an output grating) that diffracts and outputs the light having an increased beam width in a direction toward the outside of the light guide plate.

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for displaying three-dimensional objects by individually diffracting different colors of light are provided. In one aspect, an optically diffractive device includes: first and second diffractive components and a color-selective polarizer therebetween. The first diffractive component is configured to diffract a first color of light in a first polarization state incident at a first incident angle with a first diffraction efficiency at a first diffracted angle, and diffract a second color of light in a second polarization state with a diffraction efficiency substantially less than the first diffraction efficiency. The color-selective polarizer is configured to rotate the second polarization state of the second color of light to the first polarization state. The second diffractive component is configured to diffract the second color of light in the first polarization state with a second diffraction efficiency at a second diffracted angle substantially identical to the first diffracted angle.

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for reconstructing three-dimensional objects with display zero order light suppression are provided. In one aspect, a method includes illuminating a display with light, a portion of the light illuminating display elements of the display, and modulating the display elements of the display with a hologram corresponding to holographic data to diffract the portion of the light to form a holographic scene corresponding to the holographic data, and to suppress display zero order light in the holographic scene. The display zero order light can include reflected light from the display.

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for displaying three-dimensional objects by individually diffracting different colors of light are provided. In one aspect, a system includes a display having a plurality of display elements and an optical device including at least two beam expanders configured to expand an input light beam in at least two dimensions to generate an output light beam to the display by diffracting the input light beam to adjust a beam size of the input light beam in the at least two dimensions, the input light beam including a plurality of different colors of light.