METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUGMENTED REALITY DISPLAY WITH GEOMETRIC-PHASE LENSES

1 . An augmented reality display having a world side and a user side, the augmented reality display comprising:

a world side optical device;

an eyepiece waveguide; and

a user side optical device, wherein at least one of the world side optical device or the user side optical device includes a geometric-phase lens.

2 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 further comprising an optical dimmer structure.

3 . The augmented reality display of claim 2 wherein the optical dimmer structure includes:

a linear polarizer;

a liquid crystal cell; and

a quarter-wave plate.

4 . The augmented reality display of claim 3 wherein the linear polarizer is disposed on the world side of the liquid crystal cell and the liquid crystal cell is disposed between the linear polarizer and the quarter-wave plate.

5 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 wherein the world side optical device further comprises a quarter-wave plate and a linear polarizer.

6 . The augmented reality display of claim 5 wherein the quarter-wave plate and the linear polarizer are disposed between the world side optical device and the eyepiece waveguide.

7 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 wherein the world side optical device is characterized by a first focal length f and the user side optical device is characterized by a second focal length −f.

8 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 wherein the geometric-phase lens comprises three components, each of the three components being characterized by a geometric-phase profile corresponding to one of three predetermined wavelength bands.

9 . The augmented reality display of claim 8 wherein the three predetermined wavelength bands are a blue band, a green band, and a red band.

10 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 wherein:

the world side optical device comprises the geometric-phase lens; and

the user side optical device comprises a refractive lens.

11 . The augmented reality display of claim 1 wherein:

the world side optical device comprises a refractive lens; and

the user side optical device comprises the geometric-phase lens.

12 . A method of operating an augmented reality display having a world side and a user side, the method comprising:

receiving world light incident on the augmented reality display from the world side;

linearly polarizing the world light to produce first linearly polarized light characterized by a first polarization state;

rotating the first linearly polarized light to produce second linearly polarized light characterized by a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state;

converting the second linearly polarized light to first circularly polarized light having a first handedness;

converting the first circularly polarized light to second circularly polarized light having a second handedness;

converting the second circularly polarized light to the second linearly polarized light; and

blocking the second linearly polarized light.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising concurrently with converting the first circularly polarized light to the second circularly polarized light, defocusing the second circularly polarized light.

14 . The method of claim 12 wherein blocking the second linearly polarized light prevents the second linearly polarized light from reaching an eyepiece waveguide and a rear lens.

15 . The method of claim 12 wherein the first polarization state comprises an s-polarization state and the second polarization state comprises a p-polarization state.

16 . The method of claim 12 wherein the first handedness comprises right hand circular polarization and the second handedness comprises left hand circular polarization.

17 . The method of claim 12 wherein the first handedness is opposite to the second handedness.

18 . The method of claim 12 wherein, prior to rotating the first linearly polarized light, the method further comprises:

converting the first linearly polarized light to the second circularly polarized light;

initially converting the second circularly polarized light to the first circularly polarized light;

converting the first circularly polarized light to the first linearly polarized light; and

passing the first linearly polarized light through an eyepiece waveguide.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein concurrently with initially converting the second circularly polarized light to the first circularly polarized light, focusing the first circularly polarized light.

20 . The method of claim 18 further comprising:

generating virtual content using the eyepiece waveguide;

directing the virtual content toward the user side;

defocusing the virtual content; and

defocusing the first linearly polarized light.