Diffractive optical element using polarization rotation grating for in-coupling

• US 10,073,278 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Vallius, Tuomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US14/837,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20170059879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4205 having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4272 having plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path

Abstract

In an optical display system that includes a waveguide with multiple diffractive optical elements (DOEs), an in-coupling DOE couples light into the waveguide, an intermediate DOE provides exit pupil expansion in a first direction, and an out-coupling DOE provides exit pupil expansion in a second direction and couples light out of the waveguide. The in-coupling DOE is configured with two portions—a first portion includes a grating to rotate a polarization state of in-coupled light while a second portion couples light into the waveguide without modulation of the polarization state. The in-coupled light beams with different polarization states are combined in the waveguide after undergoing total internal reflection. However, as the difference in optical path lengths of the constituent light beams exceeds the coherence length, the combined light has random polarization (i.e., a degree of polarization equal to zero).

Claims

1. An optical system, comprising:

a substrate of optical material;

a first diffractive optical element (DOE) disposed on the substrate, the first DOE having an input surface and configured as an in-coupling grating to receive one or more optical beams as an input; and

a second DOE disposed on the substrate and configured for pupil expansion of the one or more optical beams along a first direction,

wherein a first portion of the first DOE is configured with a polarization rotating grating and a second portion of the first DOE is configured without a polarization rotating grating, wherein the first and second portions are configured to combine respectively received beams to generate a combined beam.

2. The optical system of claim 1 in which the polarization rotating grating is configured as a two-dimensional grating that is periodic in two different directions.

3. The optical system of claim 1 in which the one or more optical beams received at the first DOE emanate as a virtual image produced by a micro-display or imager.

4. The optical system of claim 1 further including a third DOE disposed on the substrate, the third DOE having an output surface and configured for pupil expansion of the one or more optical beams along a second direction, and further configured as an out-coupling grating to couple, as an output from the output surface, one or more optical beams with expanded pupil relative to the input.

5. The optical system of claim 4 in which differences among optical path lengths in the second DOE exceed a coherence length so as to improve display uniformity in the third DOE.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a data processing unit;

an optical engine operatively connected to the data processing unit for receiving image data from the data processing unit;

an imager operatively connected to the optical engine to form images based on the image data and to generate one or more input optical beams incorporating the images; and

an exit pupil expander, responsive to the one or more input optical beams, comprising a structure on which multiple diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are disposed,

in which the exit pupil expander is configured to provide one or more output optical beams, using one or more of the DOEs, as a near eye virtual display with an expanded exit pupil,

wherein at least one of the DOEs has one portion configured as a polarization rotating grating with a plurality of grating elements that are periodically arranged along first and second directions that are different from each other,

in which the at least one DOE further includes at least one other portion that is configured to perform no polarization modulation of the optical beams, and

in which both portions are configured to combine respectively received optical beams to generate a combined beam.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 in which the exit pupil expander provides pupil expansion in two directions.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 in which the imager includes one of light emitting diode, liquid crystal on silicon device, organic light emitting diode array, or micro-electro mechanical system device.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 in which the imager comprises a micro-display operating in one of transmission, reflection, or emission.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 as implemented in a head mounted display device or portable electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 in which each of the one or more input optical beams is produced by a corresponding one or more sources.

12. The electronic device of claim 6 in which the structure is curved or partially spherical.

13. The electronic device of claim 6 in which two or more of the DOEs are non-co-planar.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving light at an in-coupling diffractive optical element (DOE) disposed in an exit pupil expander;

expanding an exit pupil of the received light along a first coordinate axis in an intermediate DOE disposed in the exit pupil expander;

expanding the exit pupil along a second coordinate axis in an out-coupling DOE disposed in the exit pupil expander; and

outputting light with an expanded exit pupil relative to the received light at the in-coupling DOE along the first and second coordinate axes using the out-coupling DOE,

in which the in-coupling DOE includes a first portion with gratings configured to provide a periodic contoured surface having a first periodicity along a first direction and a second periodicity along a second direction so as to cause rotation of a polarization state of optical beams that are incident on the in-coupling DOE, and in which the in-coupling DOE includes a second portion with gratings configured not to cause rotation of a polarization state of optical beams incident on the in-coupling DOE, wherein the first and second portions are configured to combine respectively received optical beams to generate a combined beam.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the periodic contoured surface comprises one of quadrangular elements, cylindrical elements, polygonal elements, elliptical elements, pyramidal elements, curved elements, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 in which the in-coupling DOE, the intermediate DOE, or the out-coupling DOE is formed with a polymer that is molded from a substrate that is etched using ion beam etching in which the substrate has changeable orientation relative to an ion beam source.

17. The method of claim 14 further in which at least a portion of the out-coupling DOE is an apodized diffraction grating having shallow grooves relative to the in-coupling DOE or the intermediate DOE.

18. The method of claim 14 as performed in a near eye display system.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the output light provides a virtual display to a user of the near eye display system.