Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays
The pancake structure is the mainstream optical solution for virtual reality (VR) displays due to its compact, folded optical path. However, only a small portion of the light can pass through the pancake optical engine because the incident light has to be polarized and directed to the half mirror (H...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Crystals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/1/49 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588808349024256 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuze Xiao Jiazhan Zhang Yun Ye Sheng Xu Qun Yan Tailiang Guo Enguo Chen |
| author_facet | Yuze Xiao Jiazhan Zhang Yun Ye Sheng Xu Qun Yan Tailiang Guo Enguo Chen |
| author_sort | Yuze Xiao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The pancake structure is the mainstream optical solution for virtual reality (VR) displays due to its compact, folded optical path. However, only a small portion of the light can pass through the pancake optical engine because the incident light has to be polarized and directed to the half mirror (HM) twice. In order to improve the optical efficiency, a new pancake optical engine is proposed for VR display, which employs a diffractive deflection film (DDF) with different focal lengths in three regions and two cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) lenses that respond to circularly polarized light. The CLC lenses are modeled, and their polarization response characteristics are verified. The pancake system is simulated and optimized in terms of image quality and evaluated for optical efficiency, achieving 2.86 times the optical efficiency of the conventional pancake system, and the root mean square (RMS) radius of the system is controlled within 19 μm, and the modulation transfer function (MTF) at the cut-off frequency is greater than 0.2. The results indicate that this structure has great potential in the VR display field. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f73bfb018d78466b95d65d8a7684194b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj-art-f73bfb018d78466b95d65d8a7684194b2025-01-24T13:28:07ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522025-01-011514910.3390/cryst15010049Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality DisplaysYuze Xiao0Jiazhan Zhang1Yun Ye2Sheng Xu3Qun Yan4Tailiang Guo5Enguo Chen6College of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaThe pancake structure is the mainstream optical solution for virtual reality (VR) displays due to its compact, folded optical path. However, only a small portion of the light can pass through the pancake optical engine because the incident light has to be polarized and directed to the half mirror (HM) twice. In order to improve the optical efficiency, a new pancake optical engine is proposed for VR display, which employs a diffractive deflection film (DDF) with different focal lengths in three regions and two cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) lenses that respond to circularly polarized light. The CLC lenses are modeled, and their polarization response characteristics are verified. The pancake system is simulated and optimized in terms of image quality and evaluated for optical efficiency, achieving 2.86 times the optical efficiency of the conventional pancake system, and the root mean square (RMS) radius of the system is controlled within 19 μm, and the modulation transfer function (MTF) at the cut-off frequency is greater than 0.2. The results indicate that this structure has great potential in the VR display field.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/1/49virtual realitypancakenear-eye displayliquid crystaloptical efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Yuze Xiao Jiazhan Zhang Yun Ye Sheng Xu Qun Yan Tailiang Guo Enguo Chen Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays Crystals virtual reality pancake near-eye display liquid crystal optical efficiency |
| title | Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays |
| title_full | Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays |
| title_fullStr | Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays |
| title_short | Tripling Optical Efficiency of Pancake Optics for Virtual Reality Displays |
| title_sort | tripling optical efficiency of pancake optics for virtual reality displays |
| topic | virtual reality pancake near-eye display liquid crystal optical efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/1/49 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuzexiao triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT jiazhanzhang triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT yunye triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT shengxu triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT qunyan triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT tailiangguo triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays AT enguochen triplingopticalefficiencyofpancakeopticsforvirtualrealitydisplays |