Optical combiner including polarization-selective elements and switchable half-wave plates for pupil steering

1. An optical assembly comprising:

a beam steering device switchable between different states including a first state and a second state, the beam steering device including a first polarization-selective optical element and a first tunable optical retarder optically coupled with the first polarization-selective optical element; and

a holographic optical element positioned relative to the beam steering device for receiving light from the beam steering device and projecting a first light pattern while the beam steering device is in the first state and a second light pattern distinct from the first light pattern while the beam steering device is in the second state, wherein:

the first polarization-selective optical element is configured to:

receive light having a first polarization and transmit the light having the first polarization toward the holographic optical element in a first direction; and

receive light having a second polarization and redirect the light having the second polarization toward the holographic optical element in a second direction distinct from the first direction;

the beam steering device is positioned so that at least one of the light having the first polarization and the light having the second polarization is received by the first polarization-selective optical element at one or more incident angles within a predefined incident angle range; and

the first polarization-selective optical element is positioned to receive at least one of the first light pattern and the second light pattern from the holographic optical element at one or more incident angles outside the predefined incident angle range so that the first polarization-selective optical element transmits the at least one of the first light pattern and the second light pattern.

2. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first polarization-selective optical element is positioned between the first tunable optical retarder and the holographic optical element.

3. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

while the beam steering device is in the first state, the first tunable optical retarder transmits light impinging on the first tunable optical retarder without changing its polarization; and

while the beam steering device is in the second state, the first tunable optical retarder transmits the light impinging on the first tunable optical retarder while converting its polarization.

4. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first light pattern from the holographic optical element is configured to illuminate a first region of an eyebox; and

the second light pattern from the holographic optical element is configured to illuminate a second region distinct from the first region of the eyebox.

5. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the beam steering device also includes:

a second polarization-selective optical element; and

a second tunable optical retarder optically coupled with the second polarization-selective optical element, so that the second tunable optical retarder is positioned between the first polarization-selective optical element and the second polarization-selective optical element.

6. The optical assembly of claim 5 , wherein:

the holographic optical element is configured to project a third light pattern distinct from the first light pattern and the second light pattern while the beam steering device is in a third state different from the first state and the second state.

7. The optical assembly of claim 6 , wherein:

the first tunable optical retarder and the second tunable optical retarder are configured to transmit light without converting its polarization while the beam steering device is in the first state;

the first tunable optical retarder and the second tunable optical retarder are configured to convert light having a first polarization to light having a second polarization distinct from the first polarization while the beam steering device is in the second state; and

the first tunable optical retarder is configured to convert light having the first polarization to light having the second polarization and the second tunable optical retarder is configured to transmit light without converting its polarization while the beam steering device is in the third state.

8. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first polarization-selective optical element is configured to:

receive light having a first polarization and redirect the light having the first polarization toward the holographic optical element in a third direction; and

receive light having a second polarization and redirect the light having the second polarization toward the holographic optical element in a fourth direction different from the third direction.

9. The optical assembly of claim 8 , further including:

an additional tunable optical retarder positioned between the holographic optical element and the beam steering device.

10. The optical assembly of claim 9 , further including:

a quarter-wave plate positioned between the additional tunable optical retarder and the holographic optical element.

11. The optical assembly of claim 8 , wherein:

the beam steering device also includes:

a third polarization-selective optical element; and

a third tunable optical retarder optically coupled with the third polarization-selective optical element so that the third tunable optical retarder is positioned between the first polarization-selective optical element and the third polarization-selective optical element; and

the holographic optical element is configured to project a fourth light pattern while the beam steering device is in a fourth state and a fifth light pattern while the beam steering device is in a fifth state, the first state, the second state, the fourth state, and the fifth state being distinct from each other.

12. The optical assembly of claim 8 , further including;

a compensator including a fourth polarization-selective optical element, the compensator having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side is facing the holographic optical element, and the compensator is configured to:

receive, through the second side, ambient light propagating toward the first side in a particular direction distinct from the third direction and the fourth direction; and

redirect the ambient light such that the ambient light, after passing through the holographic optical element and the beam steering device, propagates in the particular direction.

13. A display device, comprising:

the optical assembly of claim 1 ;

a light source; and

a spatial light modulator positioned so that the spatial light modulator receives light output by the light source and projects the light toward the optical assembly.

14. The display device of claim 13 , wherein the light source and the spatial light modulator are positioned away from an optical axis of the optical assembly.

15. The optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the holographic optical element is positioned relative to the beam steering device for projecting the first light pattern toward the first polarization-selective optical element while the beam steering device is in the first state and the second light pattern toward the first polarization-selective optical element while the beam steering device is in the second state.

16. A method, comprising:

at an optical assembly including a holographic optical element and a beam steering device switchable between different states including a first state and a second state, the beam steering device including a first polarization-selective optical element and a first tunable optical retarder optically coupled with the first polarization-selective optical element:

receiving, by the first polarization-selective optical element, light having a first polarization at one or more incident angles within a predefined incident angle range and transmitting the light having the first polarization toward the holographic optical element in a first direction;

receiving, by the first polarization-selective optical element, light having a second polarization at one or more incident angles within the predefined incident angle range and redirecting the light having the second polarization toward the holographic optical element in a second direction distinct from the first direction;

receiving, by the holographic optical element, light from the beam steering device;

projecting, by the holographic optical element, a first light pattern while the beam steering device is in the first state and a second light pattern distinct from the first light pattern while the beam steering device is in the second state so that the first polarization-selective optical element receives at least one of the first light pattern and the second light pattern from the holographic optical element and transmits at least one of the first light pattern and the second light pattern; and

receiving, by the first polarization-selective optical element, at least one of the first light pattern or the second light pattern at one or more incident angles outside the predefined incident angle range so that the first polarization-selective optical element transmits the at least one of the first light pattern or the second light pattern.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including:

while the beam steering device is in the first state, transmitting, by the first tunable optical retarder, light impinging on the first tunable optical retarder without changing its polarization; and

while the beam steering device is in the second state, transmitting, by the first tunable optical retarder, the light impinging on the first tunable optical retarder while converting its polarization.

18. The method of claim 16 , further including:

illuminating a first region of an eyebox with the first light pattern from the holographic optical element; and

illuminating a second region distinct from the first region with the second light pattern from the holographic optical element.