Multipass scanner for near-eye display

A near-eye display for providing an image in angular domain at an eyebox, the near-eye display comprising:

• a light source for providing a light beam;
• a tiltable reflector for reflecting the light beam provided by the light source by tilting the tiltable reflector at a variable angle;
• a pupil-replicating waveguide for receiving the light beam tilted by the tiltable reflector and expanding the light beam over the eyebox by providing multiple portions of the light beam over the eyebox;
• and
• a multipass coupler comprising:
• a reflective polarizer for reflecting light having a first polarization state and transmitting light having a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state;
• a first quarter-wave waveplate (QWP) disposed in an optical path between the reflective polarizer and the tiltable reflector and configured to convert a polarization state of light between the first and second polarization states upon a double-pass propagation through the first QWP;
• wherein in operation, the multipass coupler receives the light beam from the light source, the light beam having the second polarization state propagates in sequence through the reflective polarizer and the first QWP, impinges onto the tiltable reflector for the first time, is reflected by the tiltable reflector at twice the variable angle to propagate again through the first QWP thereby converting to the first polarization state, is reflected by the reflective polarizer, propagates through the first QWP and impinges onto the tiltable reflector for the second time, is reflected by the tiltable reflector to propagate through the first QWP thereby converting back to the second polarization state, and propagates through the reflective polarizer to the exit pupil of the multipass scanner.