Complex spatial light modulator and 3D image display including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360840-B2
Application number	US-201414340065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Provided are a complex spatial light modulator and a three-dimensional (3D) image display including the same. The complex spatial light modulator includes a spatial light modulator configured to modulate a phase of a light beam, a prism array disposed after the spatial light modulator and including an array of prism portions each having a first prism surface and a second prism surface, and a diffractive device configured to diffract a light beam that has passed through the prism array. Accordingly, both the phase and amplitude of the light beam may be modulated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A complex spatial light modulator comprising:
a spatial light modulator configured to modulate an amplitude of light incident thereon;
a prism array disposed such that light transmitted by the spatial light modulator is incident on the prism array, the prism array comprising an array of a plurality of prism sets, each of the plurality of prism sets comprising a first prism section, a flat portion, and a second prism section; and
a diffractive device configured to diffract light transmitted by the prism array,
wherein the diffractive device is configured to combine a first light beam transmitted through the first prisim section, a second light beam transmitted through the flat portion, and a third light beam transmitted through the second prism section.

2. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first prism section comprises a first base and a first prism portion, and the second prism section comprises a second base and a second prism portion.

3. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the first base is different from a thickness of the second base, and a thickness of the flat portion is different from the thickness of the first base and the thickness of the second base.

4. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 3 , wherein
the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of prism sets of the prism array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a first sub-pixel corresponding to the first prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets, a second sub-pixel corresponding to the flat portion of one of the plurality of prism sets, and a third sub-pixel corresponding to the second prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets,
for each of the plurality of prism sets:
a center line of the first prism section coincides with a center line of the first sub-pixel of a corresponding one of the plurality of pixels,
a center line of the flat portion coincides with a center line of the second sub-pixel of the corresponding one of one of the plurality of pixels, and
a center line of the second prism section coincides with a center line of the third sub-pixel of the corresponding one of one of the plurality of pixels.

5. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the first base is equal to a thickness of the second base and a thickness of the flat portion.

6. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 5 , wherein
the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of prism sets of the prism array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a first sub-pixel corresponding to the first prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets, a second sub-pixel corresponding to the flat portion of one of the plurality of prism sets, and a third sub-pixel corresponding to the second prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets,
for each of the plurality of prism sets:
a center line of the first prism section is shifted from a center line of the first sub-pixel of a corresponding one of the plurality of pixels,
a center line of the flat portion is shifted from a center line of the second sub-pixel of the corresponding one of one of the plurality of pixels, and
a center line of the second prism section is shifted from a center line of the third sub-pixel of the corresponding one of one of the plurality of pixels.

7. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first prism section, the flat portion, and the second prism section is configured to change a phase of light transmitted therethrough.

8. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 7 , wherein the first prism section, the flat portion, and the second prism section are configured such that a phase difference between a first light beam, transmitted through the first prism section, and a second light beam, transmitted through the flat portion, is about 120° ;a phase difference between the second light beam and a third light beam, transmitted through the second prism section, is about 120° ; and a phase difference between the third light beam and the first light beam is about 120° .

9. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 1 , wherein a prism angle of the first prism portion is equal to a prism angle of the second prism portion.

10. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 1 , wherein
the diffractive device is configured to combine a first light beam transmitted through the first prism section with a (−1)-order light diffracted by the diffractive device,
the diffractive device is configured to combine a second light beam transmitted through the flat portion with a 0-order light diffracted by the diffractive device, and
the diffractive device is configured to combine a third light beam transmitted through the second prism section with a (+1)-order light diffracted by the diffractive device.

11. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first prism portion and the second prism portion comprises a micro prism array.

12. The complex spatial light modulator of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the prism array and the diffractive device satisfies a following equation:
h =T /tan θ

where h is a distance between the prism array and the diffractive device, T is a pixel pitch of the spatial light modulator, and θ is an incidence angle of light incident on the diffractive device.

13. A three-dimensional (3D) image display comprising:
a light source unit configured to output a light beam;
a spatial light modulator configured to modulate a phase of the light beam incident thereon from the light source unit;
an image signal circuit unit configured to input an image signal to the spatial light modulator; and
a beam combiner configured to modulate a phase and an amplitude of light incident thereon from the spatial light modulator,
wherein the beam combiner is disposed on an optical path after the spatial light modulator and comprises:
a prism array comprising an array of a plurality of prism sets, each of the plurality of prism sets comprising a first prism section, a flat portion, and a second prism section; and

a diffractive device configured to diffract light transmitted by the prism array,
wherein the diffractive device is configured to combine a first light beam transmitted though the first prisim section, a second light beam transmitted through the flat portion, and a third light beam transmitted through the second prisim section.

14. The 3D image display of claim 13 , wherein
the first prism section comprises a first base and a first prism portion, and
the second prism section comprises a second base and a second prism portion.

15. The 3D image display of claim 14 , wherein a thickness of the first base is different from a thickness of the second base, and a thickness of the flat portion is different from the thickness of the first base and the thickness of the second base.

16. The 3D image display of claim 15 , wherein
the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of prism sets of the prism array, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises a first sub-pixel corresponding to the first prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets, a second sub-pixel corresponding to the flat portion of one of the plurality of prism sets, and a third sub-pixel corresponding to the second prism section of one of the plurality of prism sets,
for each of the plurality of prism sets:
a center l

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Univ Korea Res & Bus Found

Inventors

• Won Kang-Hee
• Kim Hwi
• Sung Gee-Young
• Song Hoon
• An Jung-Kwuen
• Lee Hong-Seok

Classifications

• G02B27/4205

  having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant · CPC title

• G03H2223/18

  Prism · CPC title

• G03H2001/0224

  Active addressable light modulator, i.e. Spatial Light Modulator [SLM] · CPC title

• G02B30/27

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title

• G03H2225/33

  Complex modulation · CPC title