LIGHT ENGINE WITH LENTICULAR MICROLENSLET ARRAYS

摘要

An optical light engine includes a pair of lenticular microlenslet arrays (MLAs) located on each side of a polarization converter. Non-polarized light from a source in the engine is focused by the first MLA onto cells of the polarization converter which converts the light to a common state of polarization to increase efficiency and improve contrast in the system. A half wave retarder is included on the polarization converter to change the polarization of any light that is reflected from downstream optical components to match that of the forward propagating light. The second MLA, which includes a relatively large number of microlenslet elements, collects the light from the polarization converter and homogenizes the light to be highly uniform when received at a downstream imaging panel in the light engine such as a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) panel.

主权项

1. A light engine, comprising:
at least one light source configured to emit light in an unpolarized state with a non-uniform spatial distribution; an entry lenticular microlenslet array (MLA) that is disposed along a light path in the light engine and coupled to receive light from the light source; a polarization converter having an array of polarization converting cells, the polarization converter disposed along the light path to receive light from the entry lenticular MLA that is focused on the cells, the polarization converter configured to convert unpolarized light from the source into light having a common state of polarization at an output of the polarization converter; and an exit MLA disposed along the light path to receive polarized light from the output of the polarization converter, the exit MLA comprising a microlenslets array configured to focus light on a downstream imaging panel with improved uniformity of spatial distribution relative to the light from the source.