Systems and methods for augmented reality

1. An augmented reality system, comprising:

a light source configured to generate a virtual light beam; and

a planar waveguide having an entry portion, an exit portion, and a surface having a diverter disposed adjacent thereto,

wherein the diverter is tuned to selectively:

prevent real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles greater than or equal to a predetermined angle of incidence from reaching the surface of the planar waveguide, and

allow real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles less than the angle of incidence to pass through the diverter to the surface of the planar waveguide, and

wherein tuning the diverter comprises selecting a physical dimension and a chemical makeup of the diverter, and

wherein the diverter is wavelength selective.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is configured to reflect the real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles greater than or equal to the angle of incidence to prevent said real-world light beams from entering said planar waveguide through the surface of the planar waveguide.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is further configured to refract or diffract further real-world light beams.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured such that the virtual light beam has a wavelength corresponding to a wavelength for which the diverter is at least partially reflective.

5. An augmented reality system, comprising:

a light source configured to generate a virtual light beam; and

a planar waveguide having an entry portion, an exit portion, and a surface having a diverter disposed adjacent thereto,

wherein the diverter is tuned to selectively:

prevent real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles greater than or equal to a predetermined angle of incidence from reaching the surface of the planar waveguide, and

allow real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles less than the angle of incidence to pass through the diverter to the surface of the planar waveguide, and

wherein tuning the diverter comprises selecting a physical dimension and a chemical makeup of the diverter, and

wherein the diverter is polarization selective.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the virtual light beam has a polarization corresponding to a polarization for which the diverter is reflective.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is configured to reduce a critical angle of the surface of the planar waveguide compared to the surface of the planar waveguide without the diverter.

8. The system of claim 1 , the planar waveguide also having a second surface, wherein the light source and the planar waveguide are configured such that the virtual light beam propagates through the planar waveguide by at least partially reflecting off of the surface of the planar waveguide and the second surface of the planar waveguide.

9. The system of claim 8 , the planar waveguide also having a second diverter disposed adjacent the second surface, wherein the second diverter is configured to selectively:

prevent real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles greater than or equal to the angle of incidence from reaching the second surface of the planar waveguide, and

allow real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles less than the angle of incidence to pass through the second diverter to the second surface of the planar waveguide.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is a coating.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the coating is a selectively reflective coating.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is a dynamic coating comprising a liquid crystal or lithium niobate.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter comprises a metasurface material.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is a waveguide outcoupler.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter includes a plurality of thin layers having different reflectance characteristics.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an in-coupling grating and orthogonal pupil expander.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diverter is a thin film dichroic diverter.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planar waveguide has a second surface having a second diverter disposed adjacent thereto, and

wherein the second diverter is tuned by selecting a physical dimension and a chemical makeup of the diverter to selectively:

prevent real-world light beams that are incident on the second diverter at angles greater than or equal to a predetermined angle of incidence from reaching the respective second surface of the planar waveguide, and

allow real-world light beams that are incident on the second diverter at angles less than the angle of incidence to pass through the second surface of the planar waveguide.

19. An augmented reality system, comprising:

a light source configured to generate a virtual light beam; and

a planar waveguide having an entry portion, an exit portion, and a surface having a diverter disposed adjacent thereto,

wherein the diverter is tuned to selectively:

prevent real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles greater than or equal to a predetermined angle of incidence from reaching the surface of the planar waveguide, and

allow real-world light beams that are incident on the diverter at angles less than the angle of incidence to pass through the diverter to the surface of the planar waveguide, such that artifacts from real world objects at respective high angles of incidence relative to the diverter are reduced, and

wherein the diverter comprises:

a first layer tuned to reflect light having a first wavelength and a first angle of incidence higher than or equal to a first predetermined angle of incidence; and

a second layer tuned to reflect light having a second wavelength and a second angle of incidence higher than or equal to a second predetermined angle of incidence.