Color component aperture stops in projection display system

A contrast improvement method for a reflective liquid crystal-on-silicon projection system that includes an illumination system generating polychromatic light, comprising:

• color separating the polychromatic light from the illumination system into primary color components of light that are directed along separate primary color component light paths;
• aperture stopping at least one of the primary color components of light relative to another to balance relative intensities of the primary color components of light;
• and
• directing the primary color components of light to one or more light valves to impart image information into each of the primary color components of light.

A reflective liquid crystal-on-silicon projection system, comprising:

• an illumination system generating polychromatic light;
• a color separation system positioned to receive the polychromatic light from the illumination system and to separate the polychromatic light into primary color components of light that are directed along separate primary color component light paths;
• first and second sets of relay optics that establish three telecentric regions in the system;
• at least one aperture stop positioned along at least one of the primary color component light paths to balance relative intensities of the primary color components of light;
• a reflective liquid crystal-on-silicon light valve positioned with a polarizing beam splitter for each of the primary color component light paths to separately impart image information into each of the primary color components of light;
• and
• a color combiner that receives and combines the primary color components of light with imparted image information to provide light representing a polychromatic display image.