Systems and methods for manufacturing and replicating holographic optical elements and holographic waveguide couplers

A method for replicating transmission-type holographic optical elements (HOEs), comprising:

• positioning a composite master HOE in contact with a second face of one or more prisms, the composite master HOE including a reference beam component and an object beam component;
• placing a copy HOE in contact with a third face of the one or more prisms;
• and
• illuminating a first face of the one or more prisms to allow light to propagate through the one or more prisms, reach the composite master HOE, and produce a holographic exposure comprising first order diffracted illumination from both the reference beam component and the object beam component directed toward an exposure region of the copy HOE.

A system for replicating reflection-type holographic optical elements (HOEs), comprising:

• a prism positioned to receive an illumination beam on a first face thereof;
• a reflection-type master HOE in contact with a second face of the prism, the reflection-type master HOE including one of (a) a reference beam component or (b) an object beam component;
• a copy HOE positioned in contact with a third face of the prism;
• and
• a contact-copy master hologram in contact with the copy HOE and including the other of the reference beam component or the object beam component that is not included in the reflection-type master HOE, the copy HOE positioned in contact with, and between, the third face of the prism and the contact-copy master hologram, wherein
• the reflection-type master HOE is configured to receive the illumination beam after propagation through the prism and to reflect a first order diffracted light corresponding to the reference beam component or the object beam component toward an exposure area of the copy HOE, and
• the contact-copy master hologram is configured to receive the first order diffracted light after transmission through the copy HOE and to reflect another first order diffracted light corresponding to the reference beam component or the object beam component toward the exposure area of the copy HOE.

A method for replicating reflection-type holographic optical elements (HOEs), comprising:

• positioning a reflection-type master HOE in contact with a second face of a prism, the composite master HOE including one of a reference beam component or an object beam component;
• placing a copy HOE in contact with a third face of the prism;
• positioning a contact-copy master HOE in contact with the copy HOE, the contact-copy master HOE including the other of the reference beam component or the object beam component that is not included in the reflection-type master HOE;
• and
• illuminating a first face of the prism to allow light to propagate through the prism, reach the reflection-type master HOE, produce a first component of the holographic exposure upon reflection from the reflection-type master HOE and a second component of the holographic exposure upon at least a portion of the first component of the holographic exposure reaching the contact-copy mater HOE after propagating through the copy HOE and reflecting back toward to the copy HOE.

A system for producing a reflection-type master holographic optical element (HOE) comprising a reference beam component and an object beam component, the system comprising:

• a first prism and a second prism positioned with their long faces facing each other;
• an unexposed HOE positioned in contact with, and between, the long faces of the first and the second prisms;
• one or more windows to limit an aperture of an illumination beam incident on a first face of the second prism;
• and
• an additional window to limit an aperture of a conjugate beam incident on a third face of the first prism, wherein
• the one or more windows that allow illumination of the first face of the second prism are configured to provide illumination beams onto different sections of the unexposed HOE corresponding to the reference beam component and the object beam component.

A method for producing a reflection-type master holographic optical element (HOE) comprising a reference beam component and an object beam component, the method comprising:

• positioning an unexposed HOE in contact with, and between, long faces of a first and second prism;
• configuring one or more windows to provide a first aperture;
• simultaneously illuminating the unexposed HOE (a) with an illumination beam from the first aperture at a first location from a first side, and (b) with an associated conjugate beam that is incident on the unexposed HOE at the first location from a second side, thus forming the reference beam component of the reflection-type master HOE;
• configuring the one or more windows to provide a second aperture;
• and
• simultaneously illuminating the unexposed HOE (a) with an illumination beam from the second aperture at a second location from the first side, and (b) with an associated conjugate beam that is incident on the unexposed HOE at the second location from the second side, thus forming the object beam component of the reflection-type master HOE.

A system for producing a transmission-type master holographic optical element (HOE) comprising a reference beam component and an object beam component, the system comprising:

• a prism to receive an illumination beam;
• an unexposed HOE positioned in contact with a long face of the prism;
• one or more windows to limit an aperture of the illumination beam incident on a first face of the prism;
• and
• an additional window to limit an aperture of a conjugate beam incident on a third face of the prism, wherein
• the one or more windows that allow illumination of the first face of the prism are configured to provide illumination beams of differing sizes onto different sections of the unexposed HOE corresponding to the reference beam component and the object beam component.

A method for producing a transmission-type master holographic optical element (HOE) comprising a reference beam component and an object beam component, the method comprising:

• positioning an unexposed HOE in contact with a long face of a prism;
• configuring one or more windows to provide a first aperture;
• simultaneously illuminating the unexposed HOE (a) with an illumination beam from the first aperture at a first location from a first side, and (b) with an associated conjugate beam that is incident on the unexposed HOE at the first location from the first side, thus forming the reference beam component of the transmission-type master HOE;
• configuring the one or more windows to provide a second aperture;
• and
• simultaneously illuminating the unexposed HOE (a) with an illumination beam from the second aperture at a second location from the first side, and (b) with an associated conjugate beam that is incident on the unexposed HOE at the second location from the first side, thus forming the object beam component of the transmission-type master HOE.