We are developing fabrication methods of a volume binary (VB) grating, trapezoid grating and reflector facet transmission (RFT) grating. The VB grating can achieve a larger angular dispersion and higher diffraction efficiency than conventional surface-relief transmission gratings with step shaped grooves, it can be achieved a wider spectral bandwidth than a volume phase holographic (VPH) grating whose refractive index is sinusoidally modulated. The trapezoid grating can bring the spectral characteristics of s- and p-polarization closer to each other than a VB grating, so it can further improve the peak diffraction efficiency.
Micro lens array (MLA) is an optical element used in various purposes. For MLA industrial lighting device, such as uniform illumination diffuser or super wide-angle diffuser, it is required to achieve high quality illumination control. When we process MLA mold by ordinary diamond milling, error factors including tool wear, cause the same distribution of shape errors in each micro lens. The MLA lighting device produced using this mold will have an illuminance irregularity on the light distribution corresponding to the shape error distribution. In this study, we have investigated a processing method to vary the distribution of the shape error of each micro lens comprising the MLA for improve illumination quality. This method can be applied to various MLA design, for example, MLA consisting of aspheric micro lens with a maximum tangent angle of more than 60° or non-rotationally symmetric micro lens such as polynomial freeform surface.
Polymers with high mass-productivity are the best material for waveguide in AR/VR/MR smart glasses, for which demand is increasing year by year. However, polymer waveguides are difficult to obtain a wide field of view because of its lower refractive index compared to glass. Since a wide field of view can be obtained even with polymer waveguides by dividing the field of view, we performed optical design, mold design, mold processing, and injection molding of an injection moldable surface relief grating type waveguide. We used a polymer with relatively high refractive index and good flowability to improve the transferability of diffraction grating and design flexibility. The diffraction gratings manufactured on a trial basis were measured and fed back into the optical design to improve the efficiency of the waveguide. Waveguide and laser beam scanning module were combined to image the projection image. The captured image looks like a projected image through a screen door because the tiling length is larger than the pupil size. The future challenge is to improve the quality of the projected image by achieving thinner thickness and higher precision molding.
We fabricated transmissive optical diffusers with a randomized concavo-convex surface that was designed to control the irradiation distribution and can be fabricated easily. The diffusers were molded from acrylic using the mold cores machined by ultraprecision cutting or milling. Less stray light was observed from the diffuser molded with the cutting core compared with the milling core. As the Fourier optics simulation was consistent with the measured distribution, it was beneficial for the design evaluation of diffusers. Furthermore, we molded a Penrose-tiling micro-lens-array to generate uniform light distribution without random displacement of each lens. The measurement results showed the feasibility of the Penrosetiling micro-lens-array as a diffuser.
The micro lens array illumination device has an advantage on transmittance, but it also has the problem of the generation
of diffraction pattern. Well-known method for reducing diffraction is adding randomness to array structure (random
structure), but there are many choices to do it. In this study we examined the randomness with a scope that is realizable
by diamond machining yet with good productivity. As the result, we have found that the diffraction pattern can be
reduced sufficiently by adding randomness of some 10% of its lattice constant to spatial configuration of periodic lattice
of micro lens array. In addition, we have also examined controlling the illuminance distribution, by taking advantage of
high form accuracy which is special features of diamond machining.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.