Increasing returned light in a compact augmented reality / virtual reality display

A system comprising:

• a display configured to generate polarized light with a first polarization axis;
• and
• an optical arrangement having a predefined arrangement relative to a predefined position of the display and defining a field of view, the optical arrangement comprising:
• a mirror element having a first surface and opposite second surface, the mirror element disposed within the field of view and being at least partially transmissive of ambient light incident on the first surface and at least partially reflective of light incident on the second surface;
• a polarized beam splitter element disposed within the field of view and closer to the second surface of the mirror element than the first surface;
• a half-wave plate element disposed between the polarized beam splitter element and the display and outside the field of view;
• and
• a quarter-wave plate element disposed between the polarized beam splitter element and the mirror element,
• wherein the optical arrangement defines a first optical path from the display, through the half-wave plate element, to the polarized beam splitter element, through the quarter-wave plate element, to the second surface of the mirror element, through the quarter-wave plate element and through the polarized beam splitter element, and
• wherein the optical arrangement further defines a second optical path from the first surface of the mirror element through the quarter-wave plate element and through the polarized beam splitter element.

An augmented reality (AR)-capable display device for displaying, onto a predefined field of view, polarized light generated by a display with a polarization axis, the display device comprising:

• an optical arrangement having a predefined arrangement relative to a predefined position of the display and defining the field of view, the optical arrangement comprising:
• a polarized beam splitter element disposed within the field of view and having the polarization axis, the polarized beam splitter configured to reflect a first portion of the polarized light;
• a polarized reflector disposed within the field of view;
• and
• a quarter-wave plate element disposed between the polarized beam splitter element and the polarized reflector, the quarter-wave plate element configured to transmit a second portion of the reflected first portion,
• wherein the polarized reflector is configured to reflect a third portion of the transmitted second portion,
• wherein the quarter-wave plate element is further configured to transmit a fourth portion of the reflected third portion, and
• wherein the polarized beam splitter element is further configured to transmit a fifth portion of the transmitted fourth portion.