Method and optical system for coupling light into a waveguide
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- arranging an incoming light wave to interact with a diffractive in-coupling grating element or elements arranged on or embedded within a planar waveguiding substrate and arranged to couple energy from said incoming light wave into a waveguided light wave propagating within said substrate, andconverting the polarization state of the light wave after its first interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements and before a second interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements takes place.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and optical system for coupling light from an incoming light wave (WI) into a waveguiding substrate (S) arranges the light wave (WI) to interact with a diffractive in-coupling grating element or elements (IG) arranged on or embedded within the substrate (S) and arranged to couple the energy from the light wave (WI) into a waveguided light wave (WG). The polarization state of the light wave (WI) is converted after its first interaction (D1) with the in-coupling grating element/elements (IG) and before a second interaction (D2) with the grating element/elements (IG) takes place. The method minimizes any “reverse” diffractions, which would direct light back towards the front-end optics and therefore to increase the width W of the in-coupling grating/gratings (IG). Preferred embodiments include diffractive beam expanders for virtual displays.
129 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
arranging an incoming light wave to interact with a diffractive in-coupling grating element or elements arranged on or embedded within a planar waveguiding substrate and arranged to couple energy from said incoming light wave into a waveguided light wave propagating within said substrate, and converting the polarization state of the light wave after its first interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements and before a second interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements takes place. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. An apparatus comprising:
-
a diffractive in-coupling grating element or elements arranged on or embedded within a planar waveguiding substrate and arranged to interact with said incoming light wave in order to couple energy from said incoming light wave into a waveguided light wave propagating within said substrate, and a polarization converter to convert the polarization state of the light wave after its first interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements and before a second interaction with said in-coupling grating element or elements takes place. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An apparatus comprising:
-
means embedded within a planar waveguiding substrate and arranged for interacting with an incoming light wave in order to couple energy from said incoming light wave into a waveguided light wave propagating within said substrate, and means for converting the polarization state of the light wave after its first interaction with said means for interacting and before a second interaction with said means for interacting takes place. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification