Energy propagation and transverse anderson localization with two-dimensional, light field and holographic relays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10877210-B2
Application number	US-201716063513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are image relay elements exhibiting transverse Anderson localization for light field and holographic energy sources. The relay elements may include a relay element body having one or more structures, where the structures can be coupled in series, in parallel and/or in stacked configurations. The structures may have multiple surfaces such that energy waves propagating therethrough the relay elements may experience spatial magnification or de-magnification.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a relay element formed of one or more structures, the relay element having a first surface, a second surface, a transverse orientation and a longitudinal orientation;

wherein the first surface has a surface area different than the second surface;
wherein the relay element comprises a sloped profile portion between the first surface and the second surface;
wherein energy waves propagating between the first surface and the second surface travel substantially parallel to the longitudinal orientation due to a substantially higher transport efficiency in the longitudinal orientation than in the transverse orientation;
wherein the energy waves passing therethrough the relay element result in spatial magnification or spatial de-magnification; and
whereby energy with a uniform profile presented to the first surface passes through the second surface to substantially fill a cone with an opening angle of +/−10 degrees relative to the normal to the second surface, irrespective of location on the second surface.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the energy waves passing through the first surface has a first resolution, wherein the energy waves passing through the second surface has a second resolution, and wherein the second resolution is no less than about 50% of the first resolution.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the relay element includes a plurality of elements in a stacked configuration in the longitudinal orientation, wherein a first element of the plurality of elements includes the first surface and wherein a second element of the plurality of elements includes the second surface.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first element causes either spatial magnification or spatial de-magnification of the energy waves, and the second element causes either spatial magnification or spatial de-magnification of the energy waves.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of elements in the stacked configuration includes a plurality of faceplates.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of faceplates are loose coherent optical relays.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the relay element includes randomized refractive index variability such that the energy waves are localized in the transverse orientation.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is configured to receive the energy waves from an energy source unit, the energy source unit comprising a mechanical envelope having a width different than the width of at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the mechanical envelope includes a projection system having a lens, and a plurality of energy source panels disposed adjacent to the lens, the plurality of energy source panels being planar, non-planar or combinations thereof.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of energy source panels are arranged in various configurations including at least one of tilted, aligned at an angle, staggered, on-axis, off-axis, rotated, parallel, perpendicular, or any combinations thereof.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of energy source panels are arranged in a radially-symmetrical configuration.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the projection system includes focused energy transmission through a waveguide, and further comprises a telecentric lens relay element at an off-aligned angle.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is either planar or non-planar, and the second surface is either planar or non-planar.

Assignees

• Light Field Lab Inc

Inventors

• Karafin Jonathan Sean
• Bevensee Brendan Elwood

Classifications

• G03H2223/19

  Microoptic array, e.g. lens array · CPC title

• G03H2001/0088

  for video-holography, i.e. integrating hologram acquisition, transmission and display · CPC title

• H04N13/344

  with head-mounted left-right displays · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G03H1/2202

  Reconstruction geometries or arrangements · CPC title