Integrated beam steering system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to integrated beam steering systems. The integrated beam steering systems are configured in three stages to provide beam steering for image light from an imager (e.g., a laser, a light emitting diode, or other light source) to a downstream element in a display system, such as an exit pupil expander (EPE) in a mixed reality computing device. The first stage includes a multi-stage cascaded array of optical switches configurable to spatially route the image light across a first dimension of a two-dimensional (2D) field of view (FOV) of the display system. A second waveguide stage conveys the image light along a pre-formed waveguide to a collimator in the third stage, which is configured to collimate the image light along the first dimension (e.g., horizontal) of the FOV. The waveguide and collimation stages can be implemented using lightweight photonic crystal nanostructures.

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