Architecture to Illuminate a Display Panel

A near eye display system comprising:

• an out-bound polarizer;
• projection optics configured to receive light from a light source, through the out-bound polarizer;
• a display panel configured to receive the light after it passes through the projection optics, and to modulate the light, and return the modulated light to the projection optics, an output pupil of the display panel matched to a color combined illumination pupil created by an illumination system;
• an in-bound polarizer configured to receive the modulated light after it passes through the projection optics;
• and
• a combiner waveguide configured to receive the modulated light after it passes through the in-bound polarizer, the combiner waveguide configured to display image data to a user;
• wherein the light that passes through the projection optics lands on the display panel.

A method comprising:

• receiving light from optics at a display panel;
• modulating the light by the display panel, and directing the modulated light back to the optics, wherein an output pupil of the display panel is matched to a color combined illumination pupil created by an illumination system;
• in-coupling the modulated light from the display panel into a combiner waveguide, after it passes through the optics;
• such that the color combined illumination pupil is directed through the optics, then to the panel for modulation, and back to the optics, such that the color combined illumination pupil directed to the display panel and the modulated light from the display panel both pass through a shared subset of the optics.