Polarizing maintaining optical fiber in virtual/augmented reality system

1. A virtual image generation system, comprising:

a composite optical fiber that is a composite of a polarization-maintaining (PM) transmission fiber section and a non-PM scanning fiber section that is spliced to the PM transmission fiber section;

a light source configured for injecting a linearly polarized light beam into the PM transmission fiber section, such that the linearly polarized light beam is emitted from the non-PM scanning fiber section;

a mechanical scanning drive assembly to which the non-PM scanning fiber section is affixed, wherein the non-PM scanning fiber section is spliced to the PM transmission fiber section within the mechanical scanning drive assembly, and wherein the mechanical scanning drive assembly is configured for displacing the non-PM scanning fiber section to scan the emitted light beam; and

a display subsystem configured for receiving a scanned light beam and, based on the scanned light beam, displaying an image,

wherein the non-PM scanning fiber section comprises a transparent core and a cylindrical cladding surrounding the transparent core, and

wherein the cylindrical cladding has a circularly symmetrical refractive index.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display subsystem comprises a planar waveguide apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the PM transmission fiber section comprises a cladding having a circularly asymmetrical cross-section.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the PM transmission fiber section comprises a circularly symmetrical cladding, and at least one additional element configured for inducing a strain in the cladding.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical drive assembly and the display subsystem is integrated into a head-worn unit, and the light source is contained in a remote control unit configured for being worn by end user remotely from the head-worn unit.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured for being worn on the torso of the end user.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured for being worn on the waist of the end user.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the PM transmission fiber section is routed between the remote control unit and the head-worn unit.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of the non-PM scanning fiber section is entirely affixed within the mechanical scanning drive assembly.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical scanning drive assembly comprises a piezoelectric element in which the non-PM scanning fiber section is mounted.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display subsystem is configured for being positioned in front of the eyes of the end user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the display subsystem has a partially transparent display subsystem surface configured for being positioned in the field of view between the eyes of the end user and an ambient environment.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a frame structure configured for being worn by the end user, the frame structure carrying the display subsystem.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the PM transmission fiber section comprises a transparent core and a cladding surrounding the transparent core, and

wherein the cladding has a circularly asymmetrical refractive index.

15. The system of any of claim 1 , wherein the PM transmission fiber section comprises a transparent core, an additional element, and a cladding surrounding the transparent core and the additional element.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a memory storing a three-dimensional scene; and

a control subsystem configured for rendering a plurality of synthetic image frames of the three-dimensional scene,

wherein the display subsystem is configured for sequentially displaying the plurality of image frames to the end user.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control subsystem comprises a graphics processing unit (GPU).