We analyze the light efficiency of a virtual reality (VR) system from display panel to eyebox, and brightness non uniformity caused by the imaging process of the VR lens. Two types of light engines: OLED and LCD are evaluated. For an OLED panel, we optimize the microcavity structure to suppress the image non-uniformity, while keeping a high optical efficiency. For LCD, we propose a 2D patterned prism film to locally modulate the radiation pattern for optimizing the light collection efficiency while minimizing the vignetting effect. The proposed optimization method provides valuable guidelines for designing next-generation display devices for VR headsets.
Virtual reality (VR) systems bring fantastic immersive experiences to users in multiple fields. However, the performance of VR displays is still troubled by several factors, including inadequate resolution, noticeable chromatic aberration, and low optical efficiency. Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical element (PBOE) exhibits several advantages, such as high efficiency, simple fabrication process, compact, and lightweight, which is an excellent candidate for VR systems. We have demonstrated that by using three kinds of PBOEs, the above-mentioned problems can be solved satisfactorily. The first PBOE is PB grating/deflector (PBD), which can deflect the left-handed and the right-handed circularly polarized beams to two opposite directions. Therefore, if we insert a PBD to the VR system and carefully design the deflection angle, it can optically separate each display pixel into two virtual pixels and superimpose them to obtain a higher pixel density. In this way, the pixel per inch (PPI) of the original display can be doubled. The second PBOE is PB lens (PBL). As one kind of diffractive optical lenses, it has an opposite chromatic dispersion to that of a refractive lens. When a PBL with an appropriate focal length is hybridized with a refractive Fresnel lens, the system’s chromatic aberration can be significantly reduced. The third PBOE is multi-domain PB lens. The effective focal length of each domain can be customized independently. This multi-domain PBL can function as a diffractive deflection film in the VR system. If such a diffractive deflection film is cooperated with a directional backlight, the etendue wasting can be reduced prominently, and more than doubled optical efficiency can be achieved in both Fresnel and “Pancake” VR systems. These ultrathin PBOEs will find promising applications in future VR systems
We propose a new display, named as scanning waveguide display, that achieves a large eye box and FOV simultaneously. The display uses an off-axis lens array with extremely low f/# as the out-coupler. The lens array is fabricated by cholesteric liquid crystal polarization holography. We demonstrate a diagonal FOV of 100°, which far exceeds the theoretical limit of waveguide displays.
Liquid crystal-based reflective polarization volume gratings (PVGs), also known as a linear Bragg–Berry phase optical element or a member of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs), is a functional planar structure with a patterned orientation of optical axis. Due to the strong polarization selectivity, nearly 100% diffraction efficiency, large diffraction angle, and simple fabrication process, PVGs have found potential applications in novel photonic devices and emerging near-eye displays. In this work, we start from the operation principles and liquid crystal configurations to discuss the optical properties, including diffraction efficiency, angular and spectral response, and polarization state of the diffracted light. Specifically, we emphasize promising applications of PVGs for near-eye displays and novel photonic devices. Through analyzing the functionalities of PVGs with simulations, PVG-based novel devices are proposed. We further develop polarization volume lenses (PVLs) with high diffraction efficiency, low f/#, and large diffraction angles. Previously reported planar lenses are of thin form factor but with on-axis imaging and large f/#. By patterning PVGs with parabolic phase, the obtained PVLs exhibit a small f/#, high diffraction efficiency, and large off-axis diffraction angle. The PVLs offer a new design for near-eye systems, especially for augmented reality (AR) displays. Based on PVLs, we propose a new multi-focal-plane AR system with a polarization multiplexing method to eliminate the vergence-accommodation conflict.
Due to the degenerate spectral response of the human vision system, different sets of primary colors can cover the same color space. Thus, we propose to generate multiple focal planes in head-mounted displays to mitigate the vergence accommodation conflict (VAC) through wavelength multiplexing, making use of another dimension of light as the information channel for cascading 2D images to 3D scenes.
Conventional approaches based on space- or time- multiplexing can provide multifocal functionality but with a significant sacrifice in resolution or frame rate. As a novel alternative, polarization multiplexed methods can avoid these drawbacks, but they can only achieve two focal depths since there are only two orthogonal polarization states. The wavelength multiplexing proposed here is intrinsically free from all the limitations mentioned above.
Firstly, as a proof of concept, we built a dual-focal near-eye display using off-the-shelf optical components. The prototype is designed based on a birdbath architecture with an extra spectral notch filter as the wavelength-sensitive depth separation element. The optical powers for the two wavelength sets are determined by the distance between the reflector and notch filter. Our benchtop demo can generate two focal depths simultaneously, which are located at 1 m and 2 m away from the optical combiner.
Moreover, another compact optical design of a wavelength-multiplexed dual-focus light engine for lightguide type AR displays is also presented. Also, we analyze the implementation of full-color operation and demonstrate an angle insensitive multi-notch filter design based on optical multi-layer coatings. Finally, we discuss practical limitations and potential improvement of the proposed wavelength multiplexing method for overcoming the VAC issue.
We demonstrate an optical chromatic aberration correction method for virtual reality (VR) displays using cost-efficient flat optics. The fabricated ultra-broadband liquid crystal thin-film polymer lens is based on the Pancharatnam-Berry phase and manifests over 97% first-order diffraction efficiency over the display spectrum. By cascading the fabricated polymer lens with the conventional Fresnel VR lens, the lateral color breakup in the near-eye display system can be reduced by more than 10 times. Both optical designs and experimental results are presented and discussed.
We report a polarization-multiplexed additive light field display for near-eye applications. A polarization-sensitive Pancharatnam-Berry phase lens is implemented to generate two focal depths simultaneously. Then, a spatial polarization modulator is utilized to control the polarization state of each pixel and direct the two images to designated focal planes. Based on this design, an additive light field display system is constructed. The vergence-accommodation conflict is suppressed successfully without increasing space and time complexities.
We report a polarization-multiplexed additive light field display for near-eye applications. A polarization-sensitive Pancharatnam-Berry phase lens is implemented to generate two focal depths simultaneously. Then, a spatial polarization modulator is utilized to control the polarization state of each pixel and direct the two images to designated focal planes. Based on this design, an additive light field display system is constructed. The vergence-accommodation conflict is suppressed successfully without increasing space and time complexities.
Turbulence can distort the signal wavefront in free space optical (FSO) communications, leading to errors. The state-of-the-art method for correcting distortions is adaptive optics (AO). We show that improvements in turbulent FSO communication link performance can be obtained using a few-mode optical pre-amplified receiver, without AO.We compare pre-amplified few-mode and single-mode receivers for both OOK and DPSK modulation formats.
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