Optical device, display apparatus including same, and method for extending length of optical path
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsDmitriy Evgenyevich Piskunov, Svetlana Vladimirovna Danilova, Nikolay Victorovich Muravev
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Abstract
An optical device is provided. The optical device includes a display apparatus including the same, and a method of extending an optical path. The optical device includes at least one electroactive optical cell configured to adjust a phase profile of light, and an optical path extender to extend an optical path by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times.
Claims16
An optical device comprising:
- at least one electroactive optical cell configured to adjust a phase profile of light;
- and
- an optical path extender configured to extend a path of light by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times,
- wherein the at least one electroactive optical cell comprises:
- a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged apart from each other;
- and
- a second electrode layer facing the first electrode layer, and
- wherein the optical device is configured to provide independent voltage levels to the plurality of electrodes of the first electrode layer to adjust the phase profile of light such that the light is split into a plurality of lights having different phase profiles and the plurality of lights are focused at different focal lengths.
A display apparatus comprising:
- a display panel configured to form an image;
- and
- an optical device configured to adjust a phase profile of light emitted from the display panel,
- wherein the optical device comprises:
- at least one electroactive optical cell;
- and
- an optical path extender to extend a path of light by allowing light to transmit through the at least one electroactive optical cell in opposite directions a plurality of times,
- wherein the at least one electroactive optical cell comprises:
- a first electrode layer comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged apart from each other;
- and
- a second electrode layer facing the first electrode layer, and
- wherein the optical device is configured to provide independent voltage levels to the plurality of electrodes of the first electrode layer to adjust the phase profile of light such that the light is split into a plurality of lights having different phase profiles and the plurality of lights are focused at different focal lengths.
A method, performed by an optical device, of extending an optical path length (OPL) of incident light, the method comprising:
- splitting incident light into light of a first polarization and light of a second polarization;
- converting, by a quarter-wave plate (QWP), a polarization of an optical light by using at least one of the first polarization or the second polarization;
- controlling independent voltage levels of each of a plurality of electrodes of an electrode layer of an electroactive optical cell of the optical device to adjust a phase profile of light of the electroactive optical cell;
- transmitting the light of the first polarization and the light of the second polarization through the electroactive optical cell;
- at least partially reflecting, by a polarizing beam splitter (PBS), light of the converted polarization;
- transmitting the light of the converted polarization through the electroactive optical cell;
- at least partially reflecting the light by a semi-transparent mirror;
- and
- transmitting the light reflected by the semi-transparent mirror through the electroactive optical cell such that the light is split into a plurality of lights having different phase profiles and the plurality of lights are focused at different focal lengths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.