Providing uniform background image illumination with zero-order light from a phase light modulator to a spatial light modulator

An apparatus, comprising:

• a phase light modulator (PLM) configured to produce background image illumination comprising background image light and zero-order light;
• a first lens array comprising first lenses, the first lens array optically coupled to the PLM, the first lenses configured to project the background image light;
• a second lens array optically coupled to the first lens array, the second lens array comprising second lenses, the second lenses configured to project the background image light projected from the first lens array;
• an optical tunnel extending between the first lens array and the second lens array, the optical tunnel optically coupled to the PLM, the optical tunnel configured to project the zero-order light;
• an embedded lens in the second lens array, the embedded lens optically coupled to the optical tunnel and configured to focus the zero-order light projected by the optical tunnel;
• and
• focusing optics optically coupled to the second lens array and to the embedded lens, the focusing optics configured to focus the background image light and the zero-order light onto a background image plane of a spatial light modulator (SLM).