Optical system

Abstract

An optical system includes: a light-guide optical element (LOE) formed from transparent material and having mutually-parallel first and second major external surfaces for guiding light by internal reflection; a projector configured to project light corresponding to a collimated image from an aperture, the light exiting said aperture with a chief ray defining an optical axis of said projector and with an angular field about the chief ray; a coupling-in arrangement associated with said projector and with said LOE for coupling said light from said projector into said LOE at a coupling-in region so that the light undergoes internal reflection at said major external surfaces, said coupling-in arrangement including a reflective polarizing beam splitter and a phase plate deployed such that, for at least one part of said angular field, the light propagating within said LOE has spatial non-uniformity of polarization; a coupling-out arrangement associated with said LOE for redirecting the light propagating within said LOE towards a viewer, said coupling-out arrangement being polarization-sensitive; and an output-homogenizing element associated with said LOE.

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