High efficiency polarization converter including input and output lenslet arrays
US6104536A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 18, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 15, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 18, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/285
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A lenticular polarization converter for polarizing a beam of unpolarized light is described. The polarization converter includes an input lenslet array, a polarizing stack, and an output lenslet array, all arranged sequentially and optically aligned. The input lenslet array has two major surfaces, the first of which has an array of curved surfaces to focus light and the second of which has alternating transmissive and reflective regions. The beam of light is focused by the input lenslets through the transmissive regions onto the polarizing stack. The polarizing stack transmits a first polarization component and reflects a second polarization component towards the reflective regions. The second polarization component is circularly polarized by the polarizing stack and is reflected by the reflective surfaces. The circularly polarized component passes again through the polarizing stack and is linearly polarized, allowing the component to pass through the polarizer. An output lenslet array is used to align the now polarized beam in a desired direction of travel.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.