Eye-box extension in micro-OLED augmented reality near-eye display with a holographic multi-path optical element combiner

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Holography
• Display Technology

Background:

• Compact form factors in augmented reality (AR) near-eye displays (NEDs) limit the eye-box and field of view (FOV) of off-axis reflective holographic optical element (HOE) combiners.
• Extending the eye-box is crucial for enhancing user experience and display performance in AR systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a holographic multi-path (HMP) approach for extending the eye-box of off-axis reflective HOE combiners.
• To demonstrate the effectiveness of multiplexing multiple optical paths within a HOE to overcome design constraints.

Main Methods:

• Development of a holographic multi-path (HMP) approach utilizing multiplexed optical paths within a HOE.
• Routing separate partial images from a micro-OLED along these multiplexed paths.
• Combining partial images to reconstruct a complete AR image.

Main Results:

• The HMP approach successfully extended the eye-box of the HOE combiner.
• Experimental verification showed a twofold increase in eye-box size compared to previous methods.
• The enhanced eye-box significantly improves the user experience for AR applications.

Conclusions:

• Multiplexing multiple independent optical paths into a HOE is an effective strategy for extending the eye-box in AR NEDs.
• The HMP approach offers a viable solution to the eye-box limitations in compact, off-axis reflective HOE combiners.
• This advancement contributes to the development of more immersive and user-friendly AR experiences.