High efficiency homogeneous polarization converter
First Claim
1. A system for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising:
- concentrating means for concentrating the incident light beam;
collimating means parallel to the concentrating means for collimating the concentrated light beam;
polarization means parallel to the concentrating means for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; and
orienting means parallel to the concentrating means for orienting the polarization of the second component to that of the first component;
wherein the concentrating means includes a first lens array defining a plane oriented perpendicular to the incident light beam with lenses adjacently disposed in a row for dividing the incident light beam into a plurality of light beams.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A polarization converter polarizes an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane. The polarization converter comprises a planar matrix for concentrating and collimating the incident light beam; a polarizer parallel to the planar matrix for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; quarter-wave retarding means, parallel to the planar matrix and disposed between the planar matrix and the polarizer, for delaying the second component one-quarter wavelength relative to that of the first component; and reflection means, between the quarter-wave retarding means and the planar matrix, for reflecting the second component back through the quarter-wave retarder. The planar matrix may include on a top surface an array of first lenses and on a bottom surface an array of second lenses. The first and second lenses operate jointly to concentrate and collimate the incident light beam. The polarizer divides the concentrated light beam based on their planes of polarization into the first and second components, thereby enabling the quarter-wave retarder and the reflection means to orient only the second component to match the orientation of the first component.
-
Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A system for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising:
-
concentrating means for concentrating the incident light beam; collimating means parallel to the concentrating means for collimating the concentrated light beam; polarization means parallel to the concentrating means for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; and orienting means parallel to the concentrating means for orienting the polarization of the second component to that of the first component; wherein the concentrating means includes a first lens array defining a plane oriented perpendicular to the incident light beam with lenses adjacently disposed in a row for dividing the incident light beam into a plurality of light beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A system for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising:
-
concentrating means for concentrating the incident light beam; collimating means parallel to the concentrating means for collimating the concentrated light beam; polarization means parallel to the concentrating means for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; and orienting means parallel to the concentrating means for orienting the polarization of the second component to that of the first component; wherein the polarization means further includes clean-up polarization means for performing absorptive polarization on the collimated light beams.
-
-
17. A polarization converter for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising:
-
a first planar matrix for refracting the incident light beam in an ever-narrowing diameter; a second planar matrix parallel to the first planar matrix for collimating the refracted light beam; a polarizer parallel to the first planar matrix for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; quarter-wave retarding means, parallel to the first planar matrix and disposed between the second planar matrix and the polarizer, for delaying the second component one-quarter relative to that of the first component; and reflection means, between the quarter-wave retarding means and the second planar matrix, for reflecting the second component back through the quarter-wave retarder; wherein the first planar matrix is oriented perpendicular to the incident light beam and includes convex lenses adjacently disposed in a row. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A polarization converter for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising:
-
a first planar matrix for refracting the incident light beam in an ever-narrowing diameter; a second planar matrix parallel to the first planar matrix for collimating the refracted light beam; a polarizer parallel to the first planar matrix for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; quarter-wave retarding means, parallel to the first planar matrix and disposed between the second planar matrix and the polarizer, for delaying the second component one-quarter relative to that of the first component; reflection means, between the quarter-wave retarding means and the second planar matrix, for reflecting the second component back through the quarter-wave retarder; and a clean-up polarizer for performing absorptive polarization on the collimated light beams; wherein the second planar matrix includes concave lenses and the first planar matrix includes convex lenses for dividing the incident light beam into a plurality of light beams.
-
-
31. A method for manufacturing a polarizing converter for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising the steps of:
-
forming a beam-concentrating element which includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a first lens array on the upper surface and a second lens array on the lower surface, the first and second lens array jointly having a prescription to concentrate and collimate the incident light beam, and the first lens array defining a plane oriented perpendicular to the incident light beam and comprising lenses adjacently disposed in a row; placing a polarizer parallel to and at a predetermined distance from the second lens array for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; placing a mirror parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the polarizer and the beam-concentrating element such that the reflective side of the mirror film faces away from the beam-concentrating element; and placing a quarter-wave retarder parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the mirror and the polarizer.
-
-
32. A method for manufacturing a polarizing converter for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising the steps of:
-
forming a beam-concentrating element which includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a first array of adjacently disposed first lenses on the upper surface, a second array of second lenses on the lower surface, and flat surfaces between the second lenses, the first and second array for concentrating and collimating the incident light beam; depositing mirror film on the flat surfaces such that the reflective side of the mirror film faces away from the beam-concentrating element; placing a polarizer for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component parallel to the beam-concentrating element and at a predetermined distance from the mirror film; and placing a quarter-wave retarder parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the mirror film and the polarizer.
-
-
33. A method for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising the steps of:
-
concentrating the incident light beam to an ever-narrowing diameter through a concentrating means comprising an array of lenses adjacently disposed in a row, wherein the array defines a plane oriented perpendicular to the incident light beam; collimating the concentrating light beam with a collimating means parallel to the concentrating means; refracting the first component of the collimated light beam with a polarizer parallel to the concentrating means; reflecting the second component of the collimated light beam with the polarizer; orienting the polarization of the second component to that of the first component with an orienting means parallel to the concentrating means; and refracting the oriented second component. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A method for manufacturing a polarizing converter for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising the steps of:
-
forming a beam-concentrating element which includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a first lens array on the upper surface and a second lens array on the lower surface, the first and second lens array jointly having a prescription to concentrate and collimate the incident light beam; placing a polarizing film parallel to and at a predetermined distance from the second lens array for refracting the first component and reflecting the second component; placing a mirror parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the polarizing film and the beam-concentrating element such that the reflective side of the mirror film faces away from the beam-concentrating element; placing a quarter-wave retarder parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the mirror and the polarizing film; and placing a clean-up polarizer parallel to the beam-concentrating element and between the polarizing film and a series of adjacently disposed inclined steps.
-
-
40. A method for polarizing an incident light beam having a first component with a first plane of polarization and a second component with a second plane of polarization orthogonal to the first plane, comprising the steps of:
-
concentrating the incident light beam to an ever-narrowing diameter; collimating the concentrating light beam; refracting the first component of the collimated light beam; reflecting the second component of the collimated light beam; orienting the polarization of the second component to that of the first component; refracting the oriented second component; and absorptively polarizing the collimated light beam to filter out any leaked light of unwanted polarization.
-
Specification