A near-eye display system that employs a volume holographic element containing distinct but overlapped planar volume gratings, each corresponding to a subset of pixels in the display. The volume gratings are illuminated using light incident from angles, and at wavelengths, that match the conical diffraction conditions for each grating, thereby achieving both high diffraction efficiency and a wide field of view. A single volume grating can thus be used to display thousands of pixels independently with high efficiency.

A polychromator system comprising: an optical element defining an aperture; a collimation mirror for receiving light via the aperture and reflecting substantially collimated light; at least a first dispersive optical component and a second dispersive optical component, each configured to disperse the substantially collimated light received from the collimation mirror by different amounts for different wavelengths and to provide cross-dispersed light having different wavelengths of light spaced along a first and second axis; and a focus mirror positioned to focus the cross-dispersed light onto a 2-D array detector to provide a plurality of aperture images of the aperture at a respective plurality of regions of the detector, each of the plurality of aperture images associated with a respective wavelength of the cross-dispersed light. Either one or both of the collimation mirror and the focus mirror is a freeform mirror having a reflective surface configured to mitigate effects of optical aberrations of the polychromator system over a plurality of the wavelengths of the cross-dispersed light along the first axis and the second axis and thereby optimise the resolution of the plurality of aperture images associated with the plurality of the wavelengths along the first axis and the second axis.

A luminaire including: at least one light source (2), and an optical system (10, 11, 12a, 12b) for directing and/or distributing the light (5) emitted by the source(s) (2) into a desired output light distribution pattern (7); wherein the optical system comprises one or more optical elements (10, 11, 12a, 12b), the or each said optical element (10, 11, 12a, 12b) comprising a thin foil or sheet substrate having at least one optically functional surface or surface layer thereon or on a portion thereof, and wherein: (i) at least a portion of the at least one optically functional surface or surface layer on the substrate of at least one of the one or more optical elements (10, 11, 12a, 12b) has an at least partially diffractive optical function, and/or (ii) at least a portion of the at least one of the one or more optical elements (10, 11, 12a, 12b) is shaped such that its substrate is configured so as to have a non-flat or non-planar shape in three dimensions.

It is an objective of the invention of the present application to provide an image display apparatus capable of reducing a change in a display state of a virtual image that depends on a change in a viewpoint position. An image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an emission unit, a diffractive optical element, and an emission control unit. The emission unit emits image light of a target image. The diffractive optical element includes an incident surface and an emission surface, diffracts the image light entering the incident surface, emits the image light from the emission surface, and displays a virtual image that is the target image. The emission control unit controls emission of the image light by the emission unit by using image data generated in accordance with a change in a display state of the virtual image that depends on a change in a viewpoint position.

An image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a plurality of display units. Each of the display units includes a screen on which an object image is formed; and a diffractive optical element that includes a first surface and a second surface that is situated opposite to the first surface, the diffractive optical element diffracting image light of the object image that enters the first surface, and causing the image light to exit the first surface, the diffractive optical element displaying a virtual image of the object image on a side of the second surface such that the virtual image is superimposed on a background. The diffractive optical elements of a plurality of the diffractive optical elements included in the display units are each arranged to at least partially surround a specified axis in a state in which the second surface faces the specified axis.

An inspecting apparatus includes a table for supporting a workpiece thereon, a light applying unit for applying light to the workpiece supported on the table, and a light detector for detecting light reflected from the workpiece. The light detector includes a camera and a diffusion plate disposed between the table and the camera.

An eye tracking device for tracking an eye is described. The eye tracking device comprises: a first diffractive optical element, DOE, arranged in front of the eye, an image module, wherein the image module is configured to capture an image of the eye via the first DOE. The first DOE is adapted to direct a first portion of incident light reflected from the eye, towards the image module. The eye tracking device is characterized in that the first DOE is configured to provide a lens effect.

A device includes a waveguide, an in-coupling element, and an out-coupling element coupled with the waveguide. The waveguide, the in-coupling element, and the out-coupling element are configured to deliver a plurality of portions of an image light to an eye-box of the device. At least one of the in-coupling element or the out-coupling element includes a polarization selective diffractive element. The polarization selective diffractive element includes a grating including a plurality of microstructures defining a plurality of grooves filled with a passive optically anisotropic material having a first effective refractive index along a groove direction of the grooves and a second effective refractive index along an in-plane direction perpendicular to the groove direction. One of the first effective refractive index or the second effective refractive index substantially matches with a refractive index of the microstructures.

A device includes a waveguide, an in-coupling element, and an out-coupling element coupled with the waveguide. The waveguide, the in-coupling element, and the out-coupling element are configured to deliver a plurality of portions of an image light to an eye-box of the device. At least one of the in-coupling element or the out-coupling element includes a polarization selective diffractive element. The polarization selective diffractive element includes a grating including a plurality of microstructures defining a plurality of grooves filled with a passive optically anisotropic material having a first effective refractive index along a groove direction of the grooves and a second effective refractive index along an in-plane direction perpendicular to the groove direction. One of the first effective refractive index or the second effective refractive index substantially matches with a refractive index of the microstructures.

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.