Planar holographic optical device

• US 5,966,223 A
• Filed: 06/03/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. (Weizmann Institute of Science)
• Original Assignee: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. (Weizmann Institute of Science)
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov, Reinhorn, Silviu, Shariv, Isaac, Friesem, Asher Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): HENRY, JON W
• Application Number:
  US08/868,013
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/16, 359/19, 359/34, 359/565
• US Class Current: 359/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/188 Plurality of such optical elements formed in or on a supporting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0016 Grooves, prisms, gratings, scattering particles or rough surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/124 Geodesic lenses or integrated gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2848 having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29323 Coupling to or out of the diffractive element through the lateral surface of the light guide evanescent grating couplers G02B6/29332
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29325 of the slab or planar or plate like form, i.e. confinement in a single transverse dimension only integrated circuit planar waveguide arrangements G02B6/12007; specially adapted for lighting G02B6/0011
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29328 Diffractive elements operating in reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29329 Diffractive elements operating in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29373 utilising a bulk dispersive element, e.g. prism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2938 for multiplexing or demultiplexing, i.e. combining or separating wavelengths, e.g. 1xN, NxM
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0005 Adaptation of holography to specific applications holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0408 Total internal reflection [TIR] holograms, e.g. edge lit or substrate mode holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/22 Processes or apparatus for obtaining an optical image from holograms G03H1/26 - G03H1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0439 for recording Holographic Optical Element [HOE] HOE per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2227/05 Support holding the holographic record

Abstract

A holographic optical device having a light transmissive substrate with a first holographic optical element carried by the substrate, and a second holographic optical element also carried by the substrate but laterally offset from the first holographic optical element. The first holographic optical element diffracts waves from each data point in a display source into a collimated plane wave such that the plane wave is trapped inside the substrate by internal reflection, and the first holographic optical element also corrects field aberrations over the entire field of view by being recorded using at least one aspheric wavefront. The second holographic optical element diffracts the trapped plane waves out of the substrate.

Claims

1. A holographic optical device comprising:

a light transmissive substrate;

a first holographic optical element carried by said substrate; and

a second holographic optical element carried by said substrate laterally of said first holographic optical element;

wherein said first holographic optical element diffracts waves from each data point in a display source into a collimated plane wave such that said plane wave is trapped inside the substrate by internal reflection; and

wherein said first holographic optical element also corrects field aberrations over the entire field of view by being recorded using at least one aspheric wavefront; and

wherein said second holographic optical element diffracts the trapped plane waves out of the substrate.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said display source is attached to the surface of the substrate aligned with the first holographic optical element.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second holographic optical element is a linear diffraction grating.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said second holographic optical element is such as to diffract the trapped waves into at least one eye of an observer.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate aligned with the first holographic optical element but opposite to that receiving the input beam from the display'"'"'s source is opaque.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate aligned with the second holographic optical element, but opposite that from which reconstructed image is viewed, is opaque.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second holographic optical elements are located substantially coplanar in said substrate.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second holographic optical elements are located on opposite sides of said substrate.