Optical attenuator
    2.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10761391B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-09-01

    申请号:US15688981

    申请日:2017-08-29

    发明人: Joshua Lentz

    摘要: A device includes a number of grating stages having a liquid crystal layer disposed between at least two substrates, where at least one is coated with a photo-alignment layer and transparent electrodes. Each grating stage may be switchably responsive to a voltage, with grating periods of each grating stage selected such that, when the voltage is applied to a grating stage and a laser beam is passed therethrough, optical energy from the laser beam in plus and minus first orders is deflected toward sides of the grating stage and optical energy from a zero order of the laser beam is allowed to pass through the grating stage. A polarization state of the laser beam may be maintained from an input through an output. Each grating stage may include a thickness selected to achromatize the laser beam through the grating stages.

    Wide field of view (FOV) projection system and associated methods

    公开(公告)号:US10594976B1

    公开(公告)日:2020-03-17

    申请号:US16257703

    申请日:2019-01-25

    发明人: Joshua Lentz

    IPC分类号: G03B21/20 H04N5/74 G02B26/08

    摘要: Systems and methods for wide field of view (FOV) image projection using a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a fast steering mirror (FSM) cooperatively managed by a projection sequence controller. The computer-implemented process determines projection regions within the FOV, creates sub-images of an input target image for each of the regions, and operates the SLM and FSM to time-division multiplex sequential projections of each of the sub-images and to direct each projection to a respective region in the FOV within an observer frame rate. The projection sequence controller determines the number projection regions within the FOV based on a projection frame time of the SLM (including a frame read-in time and a modulation time), a mirror steering time of the FSM, and the observer frame rate.

    Polarization scene projector
    4.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10656497B1

    公开(公告)日:2020-05-19

    申请号:US16268980

    申请日:2019-02-06

    发明人: Joshua Lentz

    IPC分类号: G02F1/29 G03B21/20

    摘要: A scene projector includes a first cycloidal diffractive waveplate (CDW) having first pixels that are switchable such that light from a zero order passes through along an optical axis and light from plus and minus first orders is deflected away from the optical axis, and a second CDW downstream of the first CDW that includes second pixels positioned to receive diffracted orders of light from the first CDW, where there are at least three second pixels for one first pixel corresponding to each diffracted order received from the first pixel. The scene projector may further include a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface each positioned to receive diffracted orders of light from the second CDW, where each reflective surface directs light toward a grating structure. The scene projector may independently control a degree of polarization, angle of linear polarization, and intensity for light output therefrom.

    PROJECTION USING LIQUID CRYSTAL POLARIZATION GRATINGS TO MODULATE LIGHT

    公开(公告)号:US20220128845A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-04-28

    申请号:US17569247

    申请日:2022-01-05

    发明人: Joshua Lentz

    摘要: A projector includes a beam homogenizer receiving light from a light source and creating a predetermined illumination, and a spatial light modulator including grating stages to receive the predetermined illumination. Each grating stage may include a plurality of pixels where corresponding pixels in the grating stages are aligned with one another. Each of the pixels may include a liquid crystal layer disposed between two substrates, where a pixel is switchable by applying a voltage thereto, with a grating period of the pixel selected such that, when the voltage is applied to the pixel and light is passed therethrough, optical energy from the light in plus and minus first orders is deflected toward sides of the pixel and optical energy from a zero order of the light is allowed to pass through the pixel, with a polarization state of the light maintained through the pixel.