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Illumination system and method with efficient polarization recovery

  • US 20090310042A1
  • Filed: 06/16/2008
  • Published: 12/17/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. An illumination system comprising:

  • a light source having a light reflector;

    a collimator for collimating light provided from the light source;

    a quarter-wave retardation plate for transmitting light collimated by the collimator, the so-transmitted light comprising a pair of orthogonal linearly polarized components of respective first and second linear polarization types; and

    a light-reflective linear polarizer for transmitting light of the component of the first linear polarization type and reflecting light of the component of the second linear polarization type, such reflected light being transmitted back through the retardation plate and being converted by it into circularly polarized light which is of a first handedness and which is directed by the collimator to the light reflector to be reflected and thereby converted into circularly polarized light of a second handedness opposite to the first handedness, such circularly polarized light of the second handedness being collimated by the collimator, being subsequently transmitted through the retardation plate, and being converted by it into linearly polarized light which is of the first linear polarization type and which is transmitted through the polarizer.

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