Optical device, display apparatus including same, and method for extending length of optical path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022291517-A1
Application number	US-202217826913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2022
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 15, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical device is provided. The optical device includes a display apparatus including the same, and a method of extending an optical path. The optical device includes at least one electroactive optical cell configured to adjust a phase profile of light, and an optical path extender to extend an optical path by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical device comprising:
at least one electroactive optical cell configured to adjust a phase profile of light; and an optical path extender configured to extend a path of light by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times.

2 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical path extender comprises at least one of a semi-transparent mirror, a quarter-wave plate (QWP), or a polarization selective element.

3 . The optical device of claim 2 , wherein the polarization selective element comprises at least one of a polarizing beam splitter (PBS), a wire grid polarizer (WGP), a cholesteric crystal, a circular polarization selective mirror, or a geometric phase lens (GPL).

4 . The optical device of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one electroactive optical cell comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer facing the first electrode layer, and an electroactive layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and wherein the electroactive layer is configured to change a phase profile by a voltage applied to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

5 . The optical device of claim 2 , wherein the polarization selective element comprises a first polarization selective element and a second polarization selective element arranged to intersect each other.

6 . The optical device of claim 5 ,
wherein the first polarization selective element is configured to reflect light of left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) and transmit light of right-hand circular polarization (RHCP), and wherein the second polarization selective element is configured to transmit the light of LHCP and reflect the light of RHCP.

7 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical path extender comprises a semi-transparent mirror disposed in front of the at least one electroactive optical cell, and a quarter-wave plate (QWP), and a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed behind the at least one electroactive optical cell on the path of light.

8 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical path extender comprises a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed in front of the at least one electroactive optical cell, a first quarter-wave plate (QWP), a semi-transparent mirror, a second QWP, and a wire grid polarizer (WGP) disposed behind the at least one electroactive optical cell on the path of light.

9 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical path extender is configured to allow light to pass through the at least one electroactive optical cell at least three times.

10 . The optical device of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one electroactive optical cell comprises a first electroactive optical cell and a second electroactive optical cell, and wherein the optical path extender comprises a first polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed in front of the first electroactive optical cell, a first quarter-wave plate (QWP) disposed between the first electroactive optical cell and the second electroactive optical cell, a semi-transparent mirror, a second QWP, and a wire grid polarizer (WGP) disposed behind the second electroactive optical cell on the path of light.

11 . A display apparatus comprising:
a display panel configured to form an image; and an optical device configured to adjust a phase profile of light emitted from the display panel, wherein the optical device comprises at least one electroactive optical cell and an optical path extender to extend a path of light by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times.

12 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the optical path extender comprises at least one of a semi-transparent mirror, a quarter-wave plate (QWP), or a polarization selective element.

13 . The display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the polarization selective element comprises at least one of a polarizing beam splitter (PBS), a wire grid polarizer (WGP), a cholesteric crystal, a circular polarization selective mirror, or a geometric phase lens (GPL).

14 . The display apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: a waveguide configured to transfer the light from the display panel.

15 . A method, performed by an optical device, of extending an optical path length (OPL) of incident light, the method comprising:
splitting incident light into light of a first polarization and light of a second polarization; converting, by a quarter-wave plate (QWP), a polarization of an optical light by using at least one of the first polarization or the second polarization; transmitting the light of the first polarization and the light of the second polarization through an electroactive optical cell; at least partially reflecting, by a polarizing beam splitter (PBS), light of the converted polarization; transmitting the light of the converted polarization through the electroactive optical cell; at least partially reflecting the light by a semi-transparent mirror; and transmitting the light reflected by the semi-transparent mirror through the electroactive optical cell.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• PISKUNOV Dmitriy Evgenyevich
• DANILOVA Svetlana Vladimirovna
• Muravev Nikolay Victorovich

Classifications

• G02B27/16

  used as aids for focusing · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B2207/117

  Adjustment of the optical path length · CPC title

• G02F1/0102 Primary

  Constructional details, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title