Display for augmented reality and virtual reality systems

A refractive optical device comprising:

• a gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens shaped as a disk having a radius of at least 2.5 cm and including a central disk and a plurality of annular segments including:
• a plurality of central annular segments disposed around the central disk, and
• a plurality of peripheral annular segments disposed around the plurality of central annular segments;
• wherein:
• the central disk and each annular segment is transparent at a design wavelength;
• the central disk and each annular segment has a continuous optical phase profile at the design wavelength along a radial direction extending radially outward from a center of the central disk;
• an optical phase discontinuity is present at the interface between the central disk and the innermost central annular segment and at the interface between each pair of adjacent annular segments;
• radial widths of the central annular segments decrease with increasing distance away from the center of the central disk;
• and
• the peripheral annular segments have widths of at least 0.8 mm.

A refractive optical device comprising:

• a gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens shaped as a disk and including a central disk and a plurality of annular segments disposed around the central disk;
• and
• light blocking material disposed over the interface between the central disk and the innermost central annular segment and over the interface between each pair of adjacent annular segments, the light absorbing material effective to block light at a design wavelength;
• wherein:
• the central disk and each annular segment is transparent at the design wavelength;
• the central disk and each annular segment has a continuous optical phase profile at the design wavelength along a radial direction extending radially outward from a center of the central disk;
• an optical phase discontinuity is present at the interface between the central disk and the innermost central annular segment and at the interface between each pair of adjacent annular segments;
• the plurality of annular segments disposed around the central disk include a plurality of central annular segments disposed around the central disk and a plurality of peripheral annular segments disposed around the plurality of central annular segments;
• radial widths of the central annular segments decrease with increasing distance away from the center of the central disk;
• and
• the peripheral annular segments each have a fixed width W.