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Aperture multiplier using a rectangular waveguide

  • US 10,133,070 B2
  • Filed: 09/12/2017
  • Issued: 11/20/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An optical aperture multiplier comprising:

  • (a) a first optical waveguide having a direction of elongation, said first optical waveguide having first and second pairs of parallel faces forming a rectangular cross-section, wherein a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces at least partially traverse said first optical waveguide, said partially reflecting surfaces being at an oblique angle to said direction of elongation; and

    (b) a second optical waveguide optically coupled with said first optical waveguide, said second optical waveguide having a third pair of parallel faces forming a slab-type waveguide, wherein a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces at least partially traverse said second optical waveguide, said partially reflecting surfaces being at an oblique angle to said third pair of parallel faces,wherein said optical coupling and said partially reflecting surfaces of said first and second waveguides are configured such that, when an image is coupled into said first optical waveguide with an initial direction of propagation at a coupling angle oblique to both said first and second pairs of parallel faces, the image advances by four-fold internal reflection along said first optical waveguide, with a proportion of intensity of the image reflected at said partially reflecting surfaces so as to be coupled into said second optical waveguide, and propagating through two-fold reflection within said second optical waveguide, with a proportion of intensity of the image reflected at said partially reflecting surfaces so as to be directed outwards from one of said parallel faces as a visible image.

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