WO2000023835A1 - Holographic technique for illumination of image displays using ambient illumination - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for illuminating an image display with ambient light using holographic techniques. The apparatus includes a pair of holographic optical elements each having a first surface aligned on a common axis so that the first surfaces of each optical element face each other. Each of the first and second optical elements diffracts first bandwidth light. The second holographic optical element, however, diffracts first bandwidth light received on the first surface facing the first surface of the first holographic optical element. The second holographic optical element diffracts first bandwidth light received on its first surface, the diffracted light emerging from the first surface. The first and second holographic optical elements are switchable between inactive and active states. In the inactive state, each of the first and second holographic optical elements transmits substantially all light without substantial alteration. However, in the active state, each of the first and second holographic elements diffracts a first bandwidth light. The first and second holographical elements record a hologram in a switchable holographic material. This material may be formed from a polymer dispersed liquid crystal material. A quarter wave-plate (314) is positioned between the holographic optical elements (312a, 312b, 312c, 316a, 316b, 316c).

Description

TITLE: HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE FOR ILLUMINATION OF IMAGE DISPLAYS USING AMBIENT ILLUMINATION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1 Field of the Invention

The present invention generally lelates to illumination of image displays, and more particularly to illumination of image displays using holographic techniques

2 Description of the Relevant Art

Pioper operation of image displays such as flat panel displays is in part dependent upon the optical character and intensity of light illuminating the display device Under conditions of sufficient ambient light, operation of flat panel displays may be adequate However, reduced ambient light may dimmish suitable contrast to viewers of the display device Such reduced contrast is addressed m the prior art by supplying an internal, supplemental light means to enhance illumination and make the display more viewable However, the incorporation of supplemental light sources adds bulk to the display and the system thereof and increases power requirements Many image display systems ate power sensitive Conventional systems employing, for example, flat panel displays (e g , laptop computers and cellular telephone displays) are sensitive to power budget constraints In these sy stems, supplemental light souices foi back lighting and edge lighting are often times the greatest source of power diain The problem is to capture ambient light from as large an area as possible, (e g , from a full hemispherical region), and channel the captiued light into useful directions for illuminating an image display without the need for a supplemental source of illumination

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present

ention relates to an appai atus and method for illuminating an image display using ambient light The present invention employs hologiaphic techniques for collecting ambient light over a hemispherical region and ledirecting the collective light into uselul viewing dnections

In one embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention comprises at least a first pair of holographic optical elements each having a first surface aligned on a common axis The first pa r of holographic optical elements ai e themselves positioned such that the first surfaces of each face each other The first holographic optical element ol the first pan is configured to diffiact a select portion of received ambient light More particularly, the first hologi aphic optical element is configured to diffract ambient light within a first bandwidth The second optical element of the first pair is likewise configured to diffiact a select portion of light received thereon More particularly, the second holographic optical element is configured to diffract first bandwidth light which is received on the first surface thereof This light aftei being diffracted by the second holographic optical element emerges from the fust surface of the second optical element Both the fust and second holographic optical elements are also configured to transmit light, other than the fust bandwidth light, without substantial alteration Lastly, a quarter wave plate is positioned between and aligned with the first sui faces of the first and second optical elements In another embodiment, the second holographic optical element is switchable between active and inactive states. The second holographic optical element transmits first bandwidth light substantially unaltered when operating in its inactive state. In contrast, the second holographic optical element diffracts first bandwidth light received on the first suiface when opeiating in the active state. In yet another embodiment, the first holographic optical element is switchable between active and inactive states. In the inactive state, the first hologiaphic optical element is configured to transmit first bandwidth light substantially unalteied. In the active state, the first holographic optical element diffracts first bandwidth light.

In still another embodiment, the first or second holographic optical element is formed from polymer dispersed liquid ciystal material. In this embodiment, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material undergoes phase sepaiation duiing the hologram recoiding process, creating regions densely populated by liquid crystal micro-droplets, interspeised by regions of cleai photopolymer.

In yet another embodiment, the second hologiaphic optical element comprises a layer of material that records a hologiam and an array of electrically conductive elements, wherein the array of electrically conductive elements is positioned adjacent the layer of material that records the hologram.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Oilier objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon leference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG 1 is a cioss-sectional view ot an electrically switchable hologram made of an exposed polymer dispersed liquid ciystal (PDLC) material made in accordance with the teachings of the description herein;

FIG 2 is a graph of the noima zed net transmittance and normalized net diffraction efficiency of a hologram made in accordance with the teachings of the description herein (without the addition of a surfactant) versus the iras voltage applied across the hologram,

FIG. 3 is a graph of both the thieshold and complete switching rms voltages needed for switching a hologram made in accoi dance with the teachings of the descnption herein to rmmmum diffraction efficiency versus the frequency of the mis voltage;

FIG 4 is a graph of the normalized diffiaction efficiency as a function of the applied electric field for a PDLC matuial formed with 34% by weight liquid crystal suifactant present and a PDLC material formed with 29% by weight liquid crystal and 4% by weight suifactant; FIG. 5 is a graph showing the switching response time data for the diffracted beam in the surfactant- containing PDLC matenal in FIG 4;

FIG. 6 is a graph of the normalized net tiansmittance and the normalized net diffraction efficiency of a hologram,

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of typical experimental anangement for recording reflection gratings; FIGS. 8a and 8b are elevational views of a reflection grating, made in accordance with the teachings of the description herein, having periodic planes of polymer channels and PDLC channels disposed parallel to the front surface in the absence of a field (FIG. 8a) and with an electric field applied (FIG. 8b) wherein the liquid-crystal utilized in the formation of the grating has a positive dielectric amsotropy; FIGS 9a and 9b are elevational views of a reflection grating, made in accordance with the teachings of the description herein having periodic planes of polymer channels and PDLC channels disposed parallel to the front surface of the giating in the absence of an electnc field (FIG 9a) and with an electric field applied (FIG 9b) wherein the liquid ciystal utilized in the formation of the grating has^* a negative dielectric amsotropy, FIG 10a is an elevational view of a leflection giating, made in accordance with the teachings of the description Herein, disposed within a magnetic field generated by Hel holtz coils,

FIGS 10b and 10c are elevational v iews of the reflection grating of FIG 10a in the absence of an electric field (FIG 10b) and w ith an electric field applied (FIG 10c)

FIGS l la and 1 lb are representativ e side views of a slanted transmission grating (FIG 11a) and a slanted reflection gatin (I IG l ib) showing the onentation of the grating vector G of the periodic planes of polymer channels and PDLC channels,

FIG 12 is an elevational view of a reflection grating, made in accordance with the teachings of the description heiein, hen a shear stress field is applied thereto,

FIG 13 is an elevational view of a subvv avelength grating, made m accordance with the teachings of the description herein hav ing periodic planes ot polymer channels and PDLC channels disposed perpendicular to the front surface of the giating,

FIG 14a is an elevational view of a sw itchable sub wavelength, made in accordance with the teachings of the descnption heiein wherein the subwavelength grating functions as a half wave plate whereby the polarization of the lncic _^nt radiation is rotated by 90° FIG 14b is an elevational view of the sw itchable half wave plate shown in FIG 14a disposed between crossed po'jnzeis vheieby the incident light is transmitted,

FIGS 14c and 14d are side views of the switchable half wave plate and crossed polarizes shown in FIG 14b and showing the effect of the application of a voltage to the plate whereby the polarization of the light is no longer rota ι-d and thus blocked by the second polanzer, FIG 15a is a side view of a switchable subwavelength grating, made in accordance with the teachings of the description heitin wherein the subwav elength grating functions as a quarter wave plate whereby plane polarized light is tiansmitted through the subwavelength grating, retroreflected by a mirror and reflected by the beam splitter,

FIG 15b is a side view of the s itchable subwavelength grating of FIG 15a and showing the effect of the application of a voltage to the plate whereby the polaiization of the light is no longer modified, thereby permitting the reflected light to pass through the beam splitter,

FIGS 16a and 16b are elevational v lews of a transmission grating, made in accordance with the teachings of the desc φtion heiein, having periodic planes of polymei channels and PDLC channels disposed perpendicular to the front face of the grating in the absence of an electric field (FIG 16a) and with an electric field applied (FIG 16b) wherein the liquid crystal utilized in formation of the grating has a positive dielectric amsotropy,

FIG 17 is a side view of five subvv avelength gratings wherein the gratings are stacked and connected electricallv in parallel thereby reducing the switching voltage of the subwavelength grating,

FIG 18a is block diagram of an optical system foi illuminating conventional display devices such as flat panel displ lys in accoi dance with one embodiment of the piesent invention, FIG. 18b is a block diagram of an optical system foi illuminating a diffractive display system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19a is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a switchable holographic optical element employed in the systems shown in FIGS. 18a and 18b; FIG. 19b is a cioss-sectional view of one embodiment of the diffractive display employed in the system of

FIG. 18b,

FIG. 20 is a diagiam showing one embodiment of a holographic optical element employed m the diffractive display of FIG. 18b

FIGS. 21a-21c are block diagrams showing operational aspects of one embodiment of the optical system shown in FIG. 18a,

FIGS. 22a-22c are block diagiams showing opeiational aspects of the optical system and diffractive display system shown in FIG. 18b;

FIG. 23 is a giaph showing the relation between emergence or difffracted angle and angle of incidence for a thin phase hologiam W hile the inv ention is susceptible to v anous modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof aie shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be descπbed in detail It should be understood, howevei that the diawing and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular foim dis losed, but on the contiaiy, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling v\ ithin the spiπt and scope of the piesent invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

1. Switchable Hologram Materials And Devices

The present invention employs hologiaphic optical elements formed, in one embodiment, from a polymer dispersed liquid civ stal (PDLC) material compnsing a monomer, a dispersed liquid crystal, a cross-linking monomer, a co-initiatoi and a photo-initiatoi dv e These PDLC materials exhibit clear and orderly separation of the liquid ciystal and cuied polymer, wheieby the PDLC material advantageously provides high quality optical elements The PDLC matenals used in the holographic optical elements may be formed in a single step. The holographic optical elements may also use a unique photopolymeπzable prepolymer material that permits in situ control over chaiactenstics of resulting gratings, such as domain size, shape, density, ordering and the like. Furthermoie, methods and materials taught heiein can be used to prepare PDLC materials for optical elements comprising switchable tiansmission or reflection type holographic gratings.

Polymer dispeised liquid crystal materials, methods, and devices contemplated for use n the present invention aie also described in R. L. Sutheiland et al , "Bragg Gratings in an Acrylate Polymer Consisting of Periodic Polymer dispeised Liquid-Crystal Planes, " Chemistry of Materials, No. 5, pp. 1533-1538 (1993); in R. L. Sutherland et al , "Electrically switchable volume gratings in polymer dispersed liquid crystals." Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 64, No 9, pp. 1074-1076 (1994), and TJ. Bunning et al., "The Morphology and Performance of Holographic Transmission Gratings Recorded in Polymer dispersed Liquid Crystals," Polymer, Vol. 36, No. 14, pp. 2699-2708 (1995), all of which are fully incorporated by reference into this Detailed Descnption. U.S. Patent application Senal Nos 08/273, 436 and U S Patent 5,698,343 to Sutherland et al., titled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," and "Lasei Wavelength Detection and Energy Dosimetry Badge," respectively, are also lncorpoiated by refeience and include backgiound matenal on the formation of transmission gratmgs inside volume holograms The process by which a hologiam toi use in one embodiment of the present invention, may be formed is controlled pπmaiily by the choice of components used to prepare the homogeneous starting mixture, and to a lesser extent by the intensity of the incident light pattern In one embodiment of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material employed in the piesent invention cieates a switchable hologram in a single step. A feature of one embodiment of PDLC material is that illumination by an inhomogeneous, coherent light pattern initiates a patterned, .lnisotropic diffusion (or countei diffusion) of polymeπzable monomer and second phase material, particulaih liquid civstal (LC) Thus, alternating well-defined channels of second phase-rich material, separated by well-defined channels of a nearly pure polymei, can be produced in a single-stop process.

The lesultmg embodiment of PDLC material may have an anisotropic spatial distribution of phase- separated LC dioplets within the photoche ically cured polymer matrix Prior art PDLC materials made by a single-step piocess can achieve at best only legions of larger LC bubbles and smaller LC bubbles in a polymer matrix Tne laige bubble sizes are highly scattenng which pioduces a hazy appearance and multiple ordering diffractions in contust to the well-defined fust oidei diffiaction and zero order diffraction made possible by the small LC I αbbles ot one embodiment ol PDLC material in well-defined channels of LC-πch material Reasonably weil-defu J alternately LC-nch channels, and neaily puie polymer channels in a PDLC material are possible by multistep \ locesses but such processes do not achieve the precise morphology control over LC droplet size and distribution of sizes and widths of the polymei and LC-nch channels made possible by one embodiment of PDLC material

The same may be piepared by coating the mixtuie between two indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass slides separated by spaceis of nominally 10-20 //in thickness The sample is placed in a conventional holographic recording setup Giαtings aie typically lecoided using the 488 nm line of an Argon ion laser with intensities of between about 0 1 -100 niW/cnr and typical exposuie times of 30-120 seconds The angle between the two beams is varied to v ary the spacing of the intensity peaks, and hence the resulting grating spacing of the hologram Photopol rιenzatιon is induced by the optical intensity pattern A more detailed discussion of exemplary recording apparatus can be found in R L Sutheiland. et al , "Switchable holograms in new photopolymer-hquid crystal composite materials " Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), Proceedmgs Reprint, Volume 2402, repi mted tiom Diffractive and Hologiaphic Optics Technology II (1995), incorporated herein by reference.

The features of the PDLC matenal aie influenced by the components used in the preparation of the homogeneous starting mixture and, to a lessei extent, by the intensity of the incident light pattern. In one embodiment, the pi polymer material compnses a mixture of a photopolymeπzable monomer, a second phase material, a photo-initiatoi dye, a co-initiatoi, a chain extender (or cioss-hnker), and, optionally, a surfactant.

In one embodiment, two major components of the piepolymer mixture are the polymenzable monomer and the second phase material, which aie pieteiably completely miscible. Highly functionalized monomers may be preferred because they form densely cross-linked netwoiks which shrink to some extent and to end to squeeze out the second phase matenal As a result, the second phase material is moved a sotropically out of the polymer region and theieby separated into well-defined polymer-pooi, second phase-rich regions or domains Highly functionalized mono eis may also be prefened because the extensive cross-linking associated with such monomers yields fast kinetics, allowing the hologram to lorm lelatively quickly, whereby the second phase material will exist in domains of less than approximately 0 1 / m Highly functionalized monomeis, however, are relatively viscous As a result, these monomers do not tend to mix well with other materials, and thev aie difficult to spread into thin films Accordingly, it is preferable to utilize a mixtuie of penta-acrylates in combination with di-, tn-, and/or tetra-acrylates in order to optimize both the functionality and iscosity of the prepolymei matenal Suitable acrylates, such as tnethyleneglycol diacrylate, tπmethylolpiopane tπaciylate pentaerythi ltol tnacrylate, pentaeiytlintol tetracrylate, pentaerythritol pentacrylate, and the like can be used in the present inv ention In one embodiment, it has been found that an approximately 1 4 mixture ot tn-to penta-acrylate facilitates homogeneous mixing while providing a favorable mixture for forming 10-20 μm films on the optical plates

The second phase material of choice lor use in the piactice of the present invention is a liquid crystal (LC) This also allows an electro-optical response toi the lesulting hologram The concentration of LC employed should be large enough to allow a significant phase sepaiation to occur in the cured sample, but not so large as to make the sample opaque oi v ery hazy Below about 20% by weight v eiy little phase separation occurs and diffraction efficiencies are low Above about 35% by w eight, the sample becomes highly scattering, reducing both diffraction efficiency and ti nsmission Samples fab cated v\ ith approximately 25% by weight typically yield good diffraction efficiency and optical clarity In prepolymei mixtures utilizing a surfactant, the concentration of LC may be increased to 35% bv weight without loss in optical perfoimance by adjusting the quantity of surfactant Suitable liquid civstals contemplated for use in the piactice of the present invention may mclude the mixture of cyanobiphenyls maiketed as E7 by Merck 4 n-pentyl-4-cyanobιphenyl, 4'-n-heptyl-4-cyanobιphenyl, 4'-octaoxy- 4-cyanobφhenyl, 4'-pentyl-4-cyanoterphenvl ^-metho\ybenzyhdene-4'-butylanιlιne, and the like Other second phase components aie also possible The polvmer dispeised liquid civ stal material employed in the practice of the present invention may be formed horn a piepolymer material that is a homogeneous mixture of a porymeπzable monomer comprising dipentaetuhntol hydroxypentacrylate (available, toi example, fiom Polysciences, Inc , Warπngton, Pennsylvania), approximately 10-40 v t% of the liquid crystal E7 (which is a mixture of cyanobiphenyls marketed as E7 by Merck and also available fiom BDH Chemicals, Ltd , London, England), the chain-extending monomer N-vinylp- yrrohdinone ("NVP") (available from the Aldnch Chemical Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin), co-initiator N- phenylglycme ("NPG") (also available fiom the Aldnch Chemical Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin), and the photo-initiator dye lose bengal ester, (2,4,5,7-tetιaιodo-3',4',5',6'-tetrachlorofluorescern-6-acetate ester) marketed as RBAX bv Spectragiaph, Ltd , Maumee, Ohio) Rose bengal is also available as rose bengal sodium salt (which must be esteπfied for solubility) from the Aldnch Chemical Company This system has a very fast curing speed which results in the foimation of small liquid ciystal micro-dioplets

The mixture of liquid ciystal and piepolvmer material are homogenized to a viscous solution by suitable means (e g , ultiasonification) and spiead between dium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass sides with spacers of nominally 15-100 //m thickness and, pιeferabl , 10-20 μm thickness The ITO is electrically conductive and serves as an optically transpaient electrode Piepaiation, mixing and transfer of the prepolymer matenal onto the glass slides aie pieferably done in the daik, as the mixtuie is extremely sensitive to light

The sensitivity of the prepolymer materials to light intensity is dependent on the photo-initiator dye and its concentiation A highei dye concentration leads to a higher sensitivity In most cases, however, the solubility of the photo-initiator dye limits the concentiation of the dye and, thus, the sensitivity of the prepolymer matenal Nevertheless, it has been found that for moie geneial applications, photoinitiator dye concentrations m the range of 0 2-04% bv weight are sufficient to achieve desnable sensitivities and allow for a complete bleaching of the dye m the recoiding process, lesulting in colorless final samples Photo-initiator dyes that may be useful in generating PDLC matenals aie rose bengal estei (2 4 5.7-tetraιodo-3',4',5',6'-tetrachlorofluoresceιn-6-acetate ester), rose bengal sodium salt, eosin, eosin sodium salt 4 5-dnodosuccinyl fluorescein, camphorquuione, methylene blue, and the like T hese dyes allow a sensitivity to lecoiding wavelengths across the visible spectrum from nominally 400 nm to 700 nm Suitable near-infraied dyes such as cationic cyanine dyes with tnalkylborate anions having absorption Irom 600-900 nm as well as meiocvanine dyes derived from spiropyran may also find utility in the present inv ention T he co-initiatoi employed in the piactice of the piesent invention controls the rate of curing in the free radical poK meπzaiion leaction of the piepolymer matenal Optimum phase separation and, thus, optimum diffraction efficiency in the lesulting PDLC matenal are a function of curing rate It has been found that favorable results can be achieved utilizing co-initiatoi in the range of 2-3% by weight Suitable co-initiators include N- phenylgh cine, methyl amine, tnethanolamine N N-dιmethyl-2,6-dnsoρropyl aniline, and the like Other suitable dyes and dye co-initiαtoi combinations that may be suitable for use m the present invention, particulaiK for v isible light, include eosm and tnethanolamine, camphorquuione and N-phenylglycine, fluorescein and tnethanolamine, methylene blue and tnethanolamine or N-phenylglycme, erythrosin B and tnethanolamine. mdolinocaibocyanine and tπphenyl borate, lodobenzospuopyian and triethylamme, and the like

The chain extender (or cross linkei ) employed in the piactice of the present invention may help to increase the solubility of the components in the picpoh mer material as well as increase the speed of polymerization The chain extendei is piefeiably a smaller v mvl monomer as compaied with the pentacrylate, whereby it can react with the aery late positions m the pentaciylate monoinei, which aie not easily accessible to neighboring pentaacrylate monomeis due to steπc hindrance Tims, leaction of the chain extender monomer with the polymer increases the propagation length of the giowmg pol>meι and lesults in high molecular weights It has been found that cham extendei in geneial applications in the lange of 10-18% by weight maximizes the performance in terms of diffraction efficiency In the one embodiment it is expected that suitable chain extenders can be selected from the following N-vinvlpynohdinone, N-vinyl pyiidine, acrylonitnle, N-vinyl carbazole, and the like

It has been found that the addition of a surfactant material, namely, octanoic acid, in the prepolymer material lovveis the switching voltage and also improves the diffraction efficiency In particular, the switching voltage foi PDLC matenals containing a sui tactant aie significantly lower than those of a PDLC material made without the suifactant While not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that these results may be attributed to the weakening of the anchoπng forces between the polymer and the phase-separated LC droplets SEM studies have shown that droplet sizes m PDLC materials including surfactants are reduced to the range of 30- 50nm and the distnbution is moie homogeneous Random scattering in such materials is reduced due to the dominance of smaller droplets, thereby u ci easing the diffiaction efficiency Thus, it is believed that the shape of the droplets becomes moie spherical in the piesence of surfactant, thereby contributing to the decrease in switching voltage

For moie geneial applications, it has been found that samples with as low as 5% by weight of surfactant exhibit a significant leduction in switching \ oltage It has also been found that, when optimizing for low switching voltages, the concentiation of surfactant may vary up to about 10% by weight (mostly dependent on LC concentiation) after which there is a laige deciease in diffraction efficiency, as well as an increase in switching voltage (possibly due to a reduction in total phase separation of LC) Suitable surfactants mclude octanoic acid, heptanoic acid, hexanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, decanoic acid, and the like. In samples utilizing octanoic acid as the surfactant, it has been observed that the conductivity of the sample is high, piesumably owing to the piesence of the fiee carboxyl (COOH) group m the octanoic acid As a result, the sample increases in temperatuie hen a high fiequency (~2 KHz) electrical field is applied for prolonged penods of time Thus, it is desirable to I educe the high conductivity introduced by the surfactant, without sacrificing the high diffiaction efficiency and the low switching voltages It has been found that suitable electrically sw itchable iatings can be tormed from a polymerizable monomer, vinyl neononanoate ("VN") C₈H_]7CO_:CII=CII , commercially available from the Aldnch Chemical Co in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Favorable results ha e also been obtained where the chain extender N-vinylpyrrohdinone ("NVP") and the surfactant octanoic acid are icplaced by 6 5% by weight VN V also acts as a chain extender due to the presence of the reactive acrylate monomei group In these vanαtions high optical quality samples were obtained with about 70% diffraction efficiency, and an applied field ot

could electncally switch the resulting gratmgs

PDLC materials used in the piese t invention may also be formed using a liquid crystalline bifunctional acrylate as the monomei ("LC monomei") The LC monomers have an advantage over conventional acrylate monomeis due to their high compatibility with the low molecular weight nematic LC matenals, thereby facilitating formation of high concentrations of low moleculai weight LC and yielding a sample with high optical quality The presence of highei concentrations of low moleculai weight LCs in the PDLC material greatly lowers the switching voltages (e g to ~2V///m) Another adv antagc of using LC monomers is that it is possible to apply low AC or DC fields while lecoiding hologiams to pie-align the host LC monomeis and low molecular weight LC so that a desired onentation and contiguiation of the nematic hiectois can be obtained in the LC droplets The chemical formulate of several suitable LC monomers are as follows

• CIL=CH-COO-(CH₂)₆0-C₆H,-C₍ H₅-COO-CH=CH,

• CH_:=CH-(CH_:)₈-COO-C₆H₅-COO-(CH₂)_s-CH=CH_:

• H(Cr_:)₁₀CH_:O-CH_:-C(=CH_:)-COO-(CH_:CH,O)₃CH₂CH₂O-COO-CH₂C(=CH₂)-CH₂O(CF₂)₁₀H Semifluoi mated polymei s aie known to show eakei anchonng properties and also significantly reduced switchmg fields Thus, it is believed that semifluoi mated aciylate monomers which are bifunctional and liquid crystallme may find suitable application in the present invention

Refeiπng now to FIG 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of an electncally switchable hologram 10 made of an exposed polymei dispersed liquid ciystal matenal made according to the teachings of this descnption A layer 12 of the polymei dispeised liquid civstal matenal is sandwiched between a pair of indium-tin-oxide coated glass slides 14 and spaceis 16 The inteiior ot hologram 10 shows Bragg transmission gratmgs 18 formed when layer 12 w as exposed to an interference pattern from two inteisecting beams of coherent laser light The exposure tunes and intensities can be varied depending on the diffiaction efficiency and liquid crystal domam size desired Varying the concentiations of photo-imtiatoi co-initiator and chain-extending (or cross-linking) agent can control liquid ciystal domain size The orientation ot the nematic diiectois can be controlled while the gratings are being recorded by application of an external electnc field across the ITO electrodes

The scanning election miciogiaph sho n in FIG 2 of the referenced Applied Physics Letters article, and incorporated heiein by lefeience, is of the sui face of a giating which was recorded in a sample with a 36 wt% loading ot liquid ciystal using the 488 nm line of an argon ion laser at an intensity of 95 mW/cm² The size of the liquid civ stal domains is about 0 2 / m and the giating spacing is about 0 54 μm This sample, which is approximately 20 //m thick, diffracts light m the Biagg regime

FIG 2 is a giαph of the noima zed net tiansmittance and normalized net diffraction efficiency of a hologram made according to the teachings or his disclosuie veisus the root mean square voltage ("Vims") applied across the hologiαm Δη is the change in fust oidei Biagg diffiaction efficiency ΔT is the change in zero order transmntance TIG 2 shows that eneigy is tiansfened from the first order beam to the zero-order beam as the voltage is lncieased Theie is a true minimum ot the diffiaction efficiency at approximately 225 Vims The peak diffraction efficiency can approach 100% depending on the wavelength and polarization of the probe beam, by appropnale adjustment ot the sample thickness The minimum diffraction efficiency can be made to approach 0% by slight adjustment of the paiameteis of the PDLC material to foice the lefractive index of the cured polymer to be equal to the oidinaiy leii ctive index ol the liquid crystal

By incicαsing the fiequency of the applied voltage, the switching voltage for minimum diffraction efficiencv can be decreased significantly This is lllustiated in FIG 3, which is a graph of both the threshold rms voltage 20 and the complete switching mis v oltage 22 needed for switching a hologram made according to the teachings of this disclosure to minimum ditliaction efficiency v ersus the frequency of the rms voltage The threshold and complete switching mis volta<_es aie leduced to 20 Vrms and 60 Vrms, respectively, at 10 kHz Lower v lues aie expected at even highei ficquencies

Smallci liquid ciystal droplet sizes hav e the problem that it takes high switching voltages to switch their orientation As descnbed in the pievious paiagiaph, using alternating cunent switching voltages at high frequencies helps reduce the needed switching voltage As demonstrated in FIG 4, it has been found that addmg a surfactant (e g , octanoic acid) the piepolymei material in amounts of about 4%-6% by weight of the total mixture results in sample hologiams with switching oltages neai 50Vrms at lower frequencies of 1-2 kHz As shown m FIG 5, it has also been found that the use of the suifactant with the associated reduction in droplet size reduces the switching time of the PDLC matenals Thus samples made with surfactant can be switched on the order of 25-44 microseconds \\ ithout wishing to be bound bv any theory, the surfactant is believed to reduce switching voltages by reducing the anchoring of the liquid ciystals at the inteiface between liquid crystal and cured polymer

Thermal control of diffraction efficiency is lllustiated in FIG 5 FIG 5 is a graph of the normalized net transmittance and normalized net diffiaction etficiency of a hologram made according to the teachings of this disclosuie veisus tempeiatuie The polymer dispeised liquid ciystal matenals described herein successfully demonstrate the utility for recording \ olume hologiams of a particular composition foi such polymer dispersed liquid crystal systems.

As shown in FIG 7, a PDLC leflection giating is prepared by placing several drops of the mixture of prepolymei matenal 112 on an indium-tin oxide coated glass slide 114a A second indium-tin oxide coated slide 114b is then pressed against the fust, theiebv causing the piepolymer material 112 to fill the region between the slides 1 14a and 1 14b Pieferably the sepaiation of the slides is maintained at approximately 20 μm by utilizing uniform spaceis 1 18 Piepaiation mixing and transfer of the piepolymer material is preferably done in the dark Once assembled a mirioi 1 16 may be placed duectly behind the glass plate 114b The distance of the minor from the sample is pieferablv substantially shoitei than the coheience length of the laser The PDLC matenal is preferably exposed to the 488 nm line of an aigon-ion lasei expanded to fill the entire plane of the glass plate, with an intensity of approximately 0 1-100 mWatts cnr with typical exposure times of 30-120 seconds Constructive and destiuctiv e interfeience w ithin the expanded beam establishes a periodic intensity profile through the thickness of the film

In one embodiment the prepolvmei matenal utilized to make a reflection grating comprises a monomer, a liquid ci v stal a cross-linking monomei a co imtiatoi and a photo-initiator dye The reflection grating may be formed liom piepoh mei matenal compnsing by total weight of the monomer dipentaerythntol hydroxv pciitacivlate (DPHA), 35% by total w eight of a liquid ciystal comprising a mixture of cyano biphenyls (known commeicially as Ε7"), 10% by total w eight of a cross-linking monomer comprising N-vmylpynohdmone ("NVP' ) 2 5% bv weight of the co-initiatoi \ phenylglycme (' NPG"), and 10⁵ to 10 " gram moles of a photo- imtiatoi dv e compnsing rose bengal estei 1 uithei, as with tiansmission gratings, the addition of surfactants is expected to facilitate the same advantageous properties discussed above in connection with transmission gratings It is also expected that similai ranges and v ai lation of piepolymer starting material will find ready application in the formation of suitable reflection gratings

It has been detci mined by low voltage high resolution scanning electron microscopy ("LVHRSEM") that the resulting matenal comprises a fine giatm ; w ith a penodicity of 165 nm with the grating vector perpendicular to the plane ot the suiface Thus, as show n schematically in TIG 8a grating 130 includes periodic planes of polymer channels 130a and PDLC channels 130b which nm paiallel to the front surface 134 The grating spacing associated with these penodic planes remains lelativelv constant throughout the full thickness of the sample from the air/film to the film/substiate inteiface Although interfeience is used to piepaie both transmission and reflection gratings, the morphology of the reflection giating diffeis significantly In paitiuilai, it has been determined that, unlike transmission gratmgs with similar liquid ciystal concentrations, veiy little coalescence of individual droplets was evident Further more, the droplets that vv eie present in the matenal weie significantly smaller having diameters between 50 and 100 nm Furthermoie unlike transmission gratings w heie the liquid ciystal-nch regions typically comprise less than 40% of the grating the liquid crystal-rich component ot a leflection grating is significantly larger Due to the much smaller periodicity associated with reflection giatings I e a nanower grating spacing (~0 2 microns), it is believed that the time diffeience bet een completion of cuiing in high intensity versus low intensity regions is much smaller It is also behev ed that the fast polymei ization, as v idenced by small droplet diameters, traps a significant percentage of the liquid ciystal in the matrix during gelation and piecludes any substantial growth of large droplets or diffusion of small droplets into largei domains

Analysis of the reflection notch in the absorbance spectrum supports the conclusion that a periodic refractiv e index modulation is disposed through the thickness of the film. In PDLC materials that are formed wrth the 488 nm line of an aigon ion laser, the icflection notch typically has a reflection wavelength at approximately 472 nm foi noimal incidence and a lelativ ely naπovv bandwidth. The small difference between the wnting wavelength and the reflection wavelength (approximately 5%) indicates that shrinkage of the film is not a significant problem Moieover, it has been found that the peifoimance of such gratmgs is stable over penods of many months In addition to the materials utilized in the one embodiment described above, it is believed that suitable

PDLC matenals could be piepaied utilizing monomers such as tnethyleneglycol diacrylate, tnmethy lolpiopanetnacivlate, pentaerythntol tnacrylate, pentaeiythπtol tetracrylate, pentaerythntol pentacrylate, and the like Similaily, other co-initiatots such as tπethylamine, tnethanolamine, N.N-dιmethyl-2,6- dnsopropy lanihne, and the like could be used instead of N-phenylglycine Where it is desirable to use the 458 nm, 476 nm 4SS nm oi 514 nm lines of an Aigon ion laser, that the photo-initiator dyes rose bengal sodium salt, eosin, eosin sodium salt, fluoiescein sodium salt and the like will give favorable results Where the 633 nm line is utilized, methylene blue will find leady application Finally, it is believed that other liquid crystals such as 4'- pentyl-4-c\ anobιphenyl oi 4 -heptyl-4-cvanobιphcnyl, can be utilized

Refeinn again to FIG 8a, theic is shown an elev ational view of a reflection grating 130 made in accordance w ith this disclosuie having penodic planes of polymer channels 130a and PDLC channels 130b disposed parallel to the f iont suiface 134 ot the giating 130 The symmetry axis 136 of the liquid crystal domains is formed in a dnection perpendicular to the penodic channels 130a and 130b of the grating 130 and perpendicular to the fiont suiface 134 of the giating 130 1 hus when an electnc field E is applied, as shown in FIG. 8b, the symmetiv axis 136 is alieady in a low eneigy state in alignment with the field E and will reorient Thus, reflection gratings foimed m accoi dance with the pioccduie descnbed above will not normally be switchable

In genei al, a leflection giating tends to leflect a nanow w avelength band, such that the grating can be used as a reflection tiltei In one embodiment, ho ev ei. the reflection grating is formed so that it will be switchable More pai ticulaily, switchable reflection giatmgs can be made utilizing negative dielectric amsotropy LCs (or LCs with a low cross-ov er fiequency), an applied magnetic field, an applied shear stress field, or slanted gratings It is known that liquid ciystals hav ing a negativ e dielectric amsotropy (Δε) will rotate in a direction perpendiculai to an applied field As show n in FIG 9a, the symmetry axis 136 of the liquid crystal domains formed ith a liquid ciystal having a negati e Λε will also be disposed in a direction perpendicular to the penodic channels 130a and 130b of the grating 130 and to the front surface 135 of the grating. However, when an electnc field E is applied across such giatings. as show n in FIG 9b, the symmetry axis of the negative Δε liquid crystal will distort and leonent in a direction perpendiculai to the field E, which is perpendicular to the film and the periodic planes ot the giating As a lesult, the leflection giating can be switched between a state where it is reflective and a state w heie it is transmissiv e The following negative Δε liquid crystals and others are expected to find ready applications in the methods and devises of the piesent invention

C5H1 "^C3H

Liquid ciystals can be found in nαtuie (01 synthesized) with either positive or negative Δε. Thus, it is possible to use a LC w hich has a positiv e Λε at low fiequencies, but becomes negative at high frequencies. The frequency (of the applied voltage) at which Λε changes sign is called the crossover frequency. The cross-over frequency will v aiy with LC composition, and typical values lange from 1-10 kHz. Thus, by operatmg at the proper fiequency. the reflection grating may be switched. It is expected that low crossover frequency materials can be prepaied from a combination of positiv e and negative dielectnc amsotropy liquid crystals. A suitable positive dielectnc liquid ciystal for use in such a combination contains four ring esters as shown below

A strongly negative dielectnc liquid civstal suitable for use in such a combination is made up of pyπdazines as shown below

^{R~ ~ ~}

Both liquid civstal matenals aie av ailable from LaRoche & Co , Switzerland By varying the proportion of the positiv e and negativ e liquid ciystals in the combination crossover frequencies form 1 4-2 3 kHz are obtained at room tempeiatiuc Anothei combination suitable for use in the present embodiment is a combination of the following p-pentylphen l-2-chloιo-4-(p-pent lbenzoyloxy) benzoate and benzoate These materials are available from Kodak Company In still moie detailed aspects, sw itchable reflection giatings can be formed using positive Δε liquid crystals As shown in FIG 10a, such giatmgs aie formed by exposing the PDLC starting matenal to a magnetic field dunng the curing process The magnetic field can be geneiated by the use of Helmholtz coils (as shown in FIG 10a) the use of a permanent magnet oi othei suitable means Preferably, the magnetic field M is oriented parallel to the front suiface of the glass plates (not shown) that aie used to form the grating 140 As a result, the symmetiy axis 146 of the liquid ciystals w ill o ent along the field while the mixture is fluid When polymerization is complete the field may be remov ed and th alignment of the symmetry axis of the liquid crystals will remain unchanged (See FIG 10b ) When an electnc field is applied, as shown in FIG 10c the positive Δε liquid crystal will reoi lent in the direction of the field vv Inch is perpendicular to the front surface of gratmg and to the penodic channels of the giating FIG 11a depicts a slanted tiansmission giating 148 and FIG l ib depicts a slanted reflection gratmg 150

A hologiaphic tiansmission grating is consideied slanted if the duection of the grating vector G is not parallel to the grating suiface In a hologiaphic reflection giating, the giating is said to be slanted if the gratmg vector G is not perpendicular to the giating surface Slanted giatings have many of the same uses as non-slanted gratmg such as visual displays, minors, line filteis, optical s itches, and the like Primarily, slanted holographic giatings are used to control the direction of a diffracted beam. For example, in reflection holograms a slanted giating is used to separate the specular reflection of the film from the diffracted beam. In a PDLC holographic giating, a slanted giating has an even more useful advantage. The slant allows the modulation depth of the grating to be controlled by ah electric field when using either tangential or homeotropic aligned liquid crystals. This is because the slant provides components of the electric field in the directions both tangent and perpendicular to the grating vector. In particular, for the reflection grating, the LC domain symmetry axis will be oriented along the giating vector G and can be switched to a direction perpendicular to the film plane by a longitudinally applied field E. This is the typical geometry for switching of the diffraction efficiency of the slanted reflection grating. When recording slanted reflection giatings, it is desirable to place the sample between the hypotenuses of two right-angle glass prisms. Neutral density filters can then be placed in optical contact with the back faces of the prisms using index matching fluids so as to frustrate back reflections which would cause spurious gratings to also be recorded. A conventional beam splitter splits the incident laser beam into two beams which are directed to the front faces of the prisms, and then overlapped in the sample at the desired angle. The beams thus enter the sample from opposite sides. This prism coupling technique permits the light to enter the sample at greater angles. The slant of the resulting giating is determined by the angle which the prism assembly is rotated (i.e., the angle between the direction of one incident beam and the normal to the prism front face at which that beam enters the prism).

As show n in FIG. 12, switchable reflection gratings may be formed in the presence of an applied shear stress field. In this method, a shear stress w ould be applied along the direction of a magnetic field M. This could be accomplished, for example, by applying equal and opposite tensions to the two ITO coated glass plates which sandwich the prepolymer mixture while the polymer is still soft. This shear stress would distort the LC domains in the direction of the stress, and the resultant LC domain symmetry axis will be preferentially along the direction of the stress, parallel to the PDLC planes and perpendicular to the direction of the applied electric field for switching.

Reflection grating prepared in accordance with this description may find application in color reflective displays, switchable wavelength filters for laser protection, reflective optical elements and the like.

In one embodiment. PDLC materials can be made that exhibit a property known as form birefringence whereby polarized light that is transmitted through the grating will have its polarization modified. Such gratings are known as subwavelength gratings, and they behave like a negative uniaxial crystal, such as calcite, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or lithium niobate, with an optic axis perpendicular to the PDLC planes. Refeπing now to FIG. 13, there is shown an elevational view of a transmission grating 200 made in accordance with this description having periodic planes of polymer planes 200a and PDLC planes 200b disposed perpendicular to the front surface 204 of the giating 200. The optic axis 206 is disposed perpendicular to polymer planes 200a and the PDLC planes 200b. Each polymer plane 200a has a thickness t_p and refractive index n., and each PDLC plane 200b has a thickness t|,_πLC and refractive index n_PDLC. Where the combined thickness of the PDLC plane and the polymer plane is substantially less than an optical wavelength (i.e. (t_{PDLC +} t_p) « λ), the grating will exhibit form birefringence. As discussed below, the magnitude of the shift in polarization is proportional to the length of the grating. Thus, by carefully selecting the length, L, of the subwavelength grating for a given wavelength of light, one can rotate the plane of polarization or create circularly polarized light. Consequently, such subwavelength gratings can be designed to act as a half-wave or quaitei-vvave plate, lespectively Thus, an advantage of this process is that the birefringence of the matenal may be controlled by simple design parameteis and optrmrzed to a particular wavelength, rather than relying on the given birefnngence of any material at that vv av elength

To foim a half-wav e plate, the letaidance of the subwavelength gratmg must be equal to one-half of a wavelength, 1 e , letardance = λ/2, and to foim a quaiter-vv av e plate, the letardance must be equal to one-quarter of a wavelength, 1 e letaidance = λ/4 It is know n that the retaidance is lelated to the net birefnngence, I Δn I , which is the diifeience between the ordinaiy index of lefractron n₀, and the extraordinary index of refraction n,. of the sub-wa elength grating bv the following lelation

Retardαnce = | Δn | L = | n_c - n₀ | L

Thus, foi a half-w av e plate, l e a letaidation equal to one-half of a wavelength, the length of the subwavelength grating should be selected so that

L = λ / (2 I An I )

Similaih . for a quaitci-w av e plate, l e , a letaidance equal to one-quarter of a wavelength, the length of the subwav elength giαtrng should be selected so that

L = λ / (4 | Λn | )

If, foi example, the polaiization of the incident light is at an angle of 45° with respect to the optic axis 210 of a hall-w ave plate 212 as shown in FIG 14a the plane polaiization will be preserved, but the polarization of the wave exiting the plate w ill be shifted by 90° Thus, refening now to FIG 14b and 14c, where the half-wave plate 212 is placed betw een cioss-polanzeis 214 and 216, the incident light will be transmitted If an appropriate switching v oltage is applied as shown m TIG 14d, the polaiization of the light is not rotated and the second polaπzei w ill block the light

For a quarter-w ave plate plane polaπzed light is converted to circularly polarized light Thus, referring now to FIG 15a, vvheie quaiter-wave plate 217 is placed between a polarizing beam splitter 218 and a minor 219, the reflected light will be reflected by the beam splitter 218 If an appropriate switching voltage is applied, as shown in FIG 15b, the leflected light will pass through the beam splitter and be retroreflected on the incident beam

Refening now to FIG 16a, theie is shown an elev ational view of a subwavelength grating 230 recorded in accordance with the above-described methods and having penodic planes of polymer channels 230a and PDLC channels 230b disposed perpendicular to the fiont surface 234 of gratmg 230 As shown in FIG. 16a. the symmetry axis 232 of the liquid ciystal domains is disposed in a direction parallel to the front surface 234 of the gratmg and perpendicular to the penodic channels 230a and 230b of the giating 230 Thus, when an electric field E is applied across the giating as shown in FIG 15b, the svmmetiy axrs 232 drstorts and reorients m a direction along the field E, which is perpendiculai to the front suiface 234 of the grating, and parallel to the periodic channels 230a and 230b of the giating 230 As a result, subwav elength giating 230 can be switched between a state where it changes the polaiization of the incident radiation and a state in which it does not Without wishing to be bound by any theory, it is cunently believed that the duection of the liquid crystal domain symmetry 232 is due to a surface tension giadient which occurs as a lesult ot the amsotiopic diffusion of monomer and liquid crystal during recording ol the giatmg, and that this giadient causes the liquid crystal domain symmetry to orient in a direction perpendicular to the penodic planes

As discussed in Boin and Wolf Piinciples of Optics, 5^Ih Ed , New York (1975) and incorporated herein by reference the biietnngence of a subwa elength giating is giv en by the following relation

I - n₀ ^: = -[( c) (f_p) (n_PDLC - n ^')] ' [f, _DLC n_PD1 -r f _π -]

Wheie n₀ = the ordmaiy index ot letiaction ot the subwavelength grating; ι - the extiαoidinaiv index of refiaction n_{P l c} = the refiactiv e index ot the PDLC plane, n = the refi activ e index of the polymer plane n_LC = the effective leftactiv e index of the liquid crystal seen by an incident optical wave,

'PDLC ⁼ t_PI)LC / (t_{PD C} τ t| ) f_p = tp/ (tp_DLC + tp)

Thus, the net bnefrrngence of the subwav elen_th gratmg w ill be zero ιfn_PDLC= n_P

It is known that the effective lefi activ e index of the liquid crystal, n_LC, is a function of the applied electric field, hav ing a maximum when the field is / o and v alue equal to that of the polymer, n_P, at some value of the electric f ield E Thus by application ol in electnc field the refractive index of the liquid crystal, n_LC, and, hence the lefiactive index of the PDLC plane can be alteied Using the relationship set forth above, the net birefringence of a subw avelength giating w ill be a minimum w hen n_PDLC is equal to n_P, l e when n_LC = n_P Therefoie if the lefiacti index of the PDLC plane can be matched to the refractive index of the polymer plane, l e n_PD, _c = n,, by the apphcatron of an electrrc field, the brrefnngence of the subwavelength grating can be switched oft

The following equation for net bneftiiigence, l e I Δn I = I n„ - n₀1 , follows from the equation given m Born and Wolf (lepioduced above)

Δn = -[(fp_DLC) (f_p) (U_PDLC ^: - )l / [2n _c (f_PDLC n_{PD1 c} ^" + f_pn_p ²)]

here n _G = ( n_t + n₀) /2 Fuitheimoie. rt is known that the lefractrve index of the PDLC plane n_PDLC is related to the effective refractn e index of the liquid ciystal seen bv an incident optical wave, n_LC, and the refractive index of the sunounding polymei plane, n_P, by the follow ing iclation

N_PDLC = lip + f_LC [n_LC - n_P]

Where f| _C is the v olume tiaction of liquid civstal dispeised in the polymer within the PDLC plane, f_LC = [V_LC/ (V_LC

By way of example, a typical v alue toi the effectiv e lefiactive index for the liquid crystal in the absence of an electnc field is n_{ι c} = 1 7, and for the pol mei layer n_P, = 1 5 For the grating where the thickness of the PDLC planes and the polymer planes aie equal (l e t, _DLC = t_P, f_PDLC = 0 5 = f_P) and f_LC = 0.35, the net birefringence, Δn, of the sub avelength grating is approximately 0 008 Thus, here the incident light has a wavelength of 0 8 μm. the length of the sub a elength grating should be 50 itm for a half-wave plate and a 25 μm for a quarter-wave plate Furthci moie. by application of an electnc field of approximately 5 V///m, the refractive index of the liquid crystal can be matched to the lelractrve index ot the polymei and the buefπngence of the subwavelength gratmg turned off Thus, the sw itching \ oltage, V_n, foi α hall-w av e plate is on the order of 250 volts, and for a quarter-wave plate approximately 12^ v olts

By apply mg such voltages, the plates can be switched between the on and off (zero retardance) states on the older of microseconds As a means of companson current Pockels cell technology can be switched in nanoseconds with voltages of approximately 1000-2000 volts, and bulk nematic liquid crystals can be switched on the oidei of milliseconds with voltages ot approximately 5 v olts

In an alternativ e embodiment, as show n in FIG 17, the switching voltage of the subwavelength grating can be I educed by stacking seveial sub a elength giatings 220a-220e together, and connecting them electrically m parallel By w ay of example, it has been found that a stack ot fi e gratings each with a length of 10 μm yields the thickness lequned for a half-wave plate It should be noted that the length of the sample rs somewhat greater than 50 μm because each giating includes an lndium-tin-oxidc coating which acts as a transparent electrode The switching v oltage loi such a stack of plates how ever, is onlv 50 volts

Subwav elength giatings in accoidance w ith the this desci lption are expected to find suitable application m the areas of polai ization optics and optical sw itches for displays and laser optics, as well as tunable filters for telecommunications, colonmetiy, spectroscopy, laser protectron, and the like. Similarly, electncally switchable transmission giatings ha e many applrcations tor which beams of light must be deflected or holographic images switched Among these applications aie Fiber optrc sw itches, reprogrammable NxN optical interconnects for optical computing, beam steering for lasei suigery, beam steering for laser radar, holographic image storage and retrieval digital zoom opttcs (swrtchable hologiaphic lenses), graphrc arts and entertainment, and the like

A switchable hologiam is one toi w hich the diffiaction efficiency of the hologram may be modulated by the application of an electnc field, and can be switched from a fully on state (high diffraction efficiency) to a fully off state (low or zero diffiaction efficiency) A static hologiam is one whose properties remain fixed independent of an applied field In accordance with this descnption. a high contrast status hologram can also be created In this variation of this descnption, the hologiams ate lecoided as descnbed previously The cured polymer film is then soaked m a suitable sol ent at room tempeiatuie for a short duratron and finally dried For the liquid crystal E7, methanol has shown satisfactory application Other potential solvents include alcohols such as ethanol, hydrocaibons such as hexane and heptane and the like When the material is dried, a high contrast status hologram with high diffiaction elficiency results The high diffiaction efficiency is a consequence of the large index modulation in the film (Δn-0 5) because the second phase domains are leplaced with empty (air) voids (n~l)

Sinulaily in accoidαnce with this descnption a high birefnngence static sub-wavelength wave-plate can also be toimed Due to the fact that the lefiactiv e rndex toi an is significantly lower than for most liquid crystals, the conespondmg thickness of the half- av e plate would be reduced accordingly Synthesized wave-plates in accordance vvrth tins descnption can be used m many applications employing polarization optics, particularly where a matenal of the appropriate brrefπngence that the appropriate wav elength is unavailable, too costly, or too bulky

The tenn polymer dispersed liquid ci v stals and polvmer drspersed lrquid crystal matenal includes, as may be appioprrate solutions in w hich none of the monomers have yet polymerized or cured, solutions in which some polymei izatton has occuned and solutions w hich have undergone complete polymerization Those skilled in the art will clearly undeistand that the use heiein of the standaid teim used in the art, "polymer dispersed liquid crystals (which αmmatically refers to liquid civstals drspersed rn a fully polymerized matrix) is meant to include all or part of a moie giammatically coπect piepolvmer dispersed lrqurd crystal material, or a more grammatically conect starting matenal for a polymer dispeised liquid crystal matenal

2 Illumination of Displays Using Hologiaphic Optical Elements

TIG ISa show s a block diagiam ol an optical system 310 used rn rlluminating conventional image displav s such as fl it pane l displays Optical sv stem 310 includes a first optical subsystem 312, a quarter wave plate 314, a second optical subsystem 316, and a sv slem controller 318 First optical subsystem 312, in rum, mcludes three distinct hologiaphic optical elements 312a-312c Likewise, second optical subsystem 316 includes three hologiaphic optic il elements 316a-316c As shown in FIG 18a, system controller 318 is individually coupled to each of the hologiaphic optical elements 312a 312c and 316a-316c

In FIG I Sa each of the hologiaphic optical elements 312a-312c and 316a-316c define a dynamic or switchable optical element configured to opciate in activ e oi inactive states depending upon a control signal provided by system contiollei 318 In the activ e state, each switchable holographic optical element is designed to diffract a select bandw idth ot visible light (e g led light) incident thereon In the inactive state, each switchable holographic optical element is configuied to tiansmit substantially all light incident thereon without substantial alteration In one sense transmitting substantially all incident light without substantial alternation means that the optical clement acts as a v isibly ttanspaient medium such as glass It is noted, however, that the present invention can be employed with static hologiaphic optical elements 312a-312c and 316a-316c that consistently diffract nanovv bandwidth light, oi ith a combination of static and s itchable holographic optical elements 312a-312c and 316a-316c Morcov ei, the present invention as shown in FIG 18a can be employed with a single switchable hologiaphic opticil element in each oi eithei of the optical subsystems 312 and 316 Such a single switchable holographic optical element opeiating rn the actrve state in response to a single signal provided by system controllci 318, is configuied to simultaneously diffiact thiee distinct bandwidths of visible light (e g , red, blue, and green, lespectivelv) In the inactive mode the optical subsystem employing a single switchable holographic optical element is configui ed to tiansmrt substantially all light incident theieon without substantial alteration. Nonetheless, the present invention as shown in FIG 18a will be descnbed with respect to optical subsystems 312 and 316 compnsing individually switchable hologiaphic optical elements, it- being understood that the present invention as shown in FIG I Sa is not limited thereto

FIG. 18b shows a block diagram of a system 320 employing the present invention. System 320 includes first optical subsystem 322, quarter wave plate 324. second optical subsystem 326, and system controller 328 First optical subsystem 322, in turn, includes thiee hologiaphic optical elements 322a-322c. Likewise, the second optical element subsystem 326 includes iluee hologiaphic optical elements 326a-326c. In the embodiment shown in FIG 18b. the second optical subsystem 326 defines a diffractrve drsplay for generating images in response to image signals received bv system controller 328 as w ill be moie fully described below.

Each hologiaphic optical element 322a-322c compnses, in one embodiment, a switchable holographic optical element that opeiates between acti e and inactive states in lesponse to control signals provided by system controllei 328 In the active state, each sw itchable hologiaphic optical element is configured to diffract a select bandw idth of v isible light (e g , red light) incident theieon In the inactive state, each switchable holographic optical element 322a-322c is configuied to tiansmit substantially all visible light incident thereon without substantial alteiatiυn It is noted, howev ei, that each hologiaphic optical element 322a-322c may be defined as a static holographic optical element that consistently diffiacts a select bandwidth of light incident thereon Moreover, first optical subsy stem 322 may compnse a single sw itchable holographic optical element controlled by system controller 328 This single switchable hologiaphic optical element rs swrtchable between active and inactive states in accoidance w ith a control signal pro ided bv system controller 328 In the actrve state, thrs single switchable hologiaphic optical element is configuied to simultaneously diffiact three distinct bandwidths of visible light ncident theieon The fust optical subsystem 322 defined as a single switchable holographic optical element, is configuied to transmit substantially all v isible light incident thereon without substantial alternation when operating in the inactive state The system shown in TIG I Sb will be descnbed with reference to first optical subsystem 322 compnsmg three distinct s itchable hologiαpinc optical elements each one switchable between active and inactive states ! lowev ei. ,t is to be undeistood that the pieseπt invention is not to be limited thereto.

As noted abov e the second optical subsystem 326 as shown in FIG 18b defines a diffractive display that includes thiee distinct sw itchable hologiaphic optical elements 326a-326c As will be more fully described below, each of the optical elements 326a-326c includes a pluiality of sub-areas Each sub-area is individually switchable between the activ e state and the inactive state in accordance with control signals provided by system controller 328 Each sub-area when activated, is configuied to drffract a select bandwidth of visible light incident thereon. Moreov ei, each sub-aiea when inactive is configuied to tiansmit substantially all visible light incident thereon without substantial alteiation The subaicas of each hologiaphic optical element 326a-326c are configured so that several may be activ e while the lemaindei ai e inactrve rn accordance wrth signals generated by system controller Again, these feamies will be more fully descnbed below

FIG. 19a shows a cross sectional v lew of an example switchable holographic optical element that could be used ithin the fust oi second optical subsystems 312 and 316 shown in FIG 18a, or the first optical subsystem 322 shown in FIG 18b The switchable hologiaphic optical element 330 shown in FIG 19a includes a pair of substantially tiansparent and electncallv nonconductive layers 332, a pair of substantially transparent and electrically conductive la eis 334 and a sw itchable hologiaphic layer 336 formed, in one embodiment, from the polymei dispersed liquid material descnbed above In one embodiment, the substantially transparent, electncally nonconductive lav as 332 comprise glass w hile the electncally conductive, substantially transparent layers 334 compnse indium tin oxide (ITO) An anti-ieflection coating (not shown) may be applied to selected surfaces of the layered sw itchable hologiαphrc optrcal element including the ITO and the electrically nonconductive layers 332, to improv e the ovei ill tiansmission efficiency of the optical element and to reduce stray lrght As shown in this embodiment of FIG 19a all layeis 332-336 aie ananged like a stack of pancakes on a common axis 338

Layers 332-336 of the optical element 330 shown in FIG 19a may have substantially thin cross-sectional widths theieby piov iding α substantially thin aggiegate in cross section More particularly, switchable holographic layer 3^6 may hav e a cross-sectional width of "> 12 microns (the pi ease width depending on the spectral bandwidth and requued diffiaction efficiency) while glass layeis 332 may have a cross-sectional width of 4- 8 millimeters Obviously ITO lav eis 3"4 must be substantially thin to be u anspaient

In one embodiment ITO layeis 334 aie selectively coupled to a voltage source (not shown in FIG 19a or FIG 19b) in accoi dance w ith a control signal pιo\ ided by the system controller When ITO layers 334 are coupled to the oltage soui ee an electnc field is established w ithin the switchable holographic layer 336, and the switchable hologia phic optic il element 330 is sard to operate in the inactrve state Stated differently, an electnc field established betw een I TO lavers 334 deactiv ates the switchable holographic optical element layer 336 such that substantially all light incident upon either sui lace of tianspαient nonconductive layers 332, regardless of incidence angle i-, tiansmitted through the hologiaphic optical element 330 without substantial alteration When the ITO layers ^34 aie disconnected from the v oltage souiee, the switchable holographic optical element 330 is said to operate in the acti e state More particulaily when ITO lay eis 334 aie decoupled from a voltage source, no electnc field is present theiebetw een and a select bandwidth of v isible light is diffracted in holographic layer 336 It is noted that sw itchable hologiaphic layei 3^6 tiansmits light outside the select bandwidth without substantial alteiation when activated

FIG 19b and 20 show an example ot i sw itchable hologiaphic optical element employed in the second optical subsystem ( I e the diffiactive display ) of TIG 18b Addrtronally, FIG 20 shows one embodiment of a system controller 328 shown in FIG 18b FIG 19b shows a cross-sectional view of the switchable holographic optical element 340 sho n in FIG 20 taken along line 19b In FIGS 19b and 20 sw itchable hologiaphic optical element 340 includes a parr of substantially transpai ent and electncally nonconductiv e laveis 342, a tianspaient and electrrcally conductive layer 344, a switchable hologiaphic lαyei 346 foimcd in one embodiment, from the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material described above and a lavei 348 which compnses an aιτav of substantially transparent and electncally conductive elements 350 electncallv isolated by an electncally nonconductive isolator 352 In one embodiment, the substantially tianspaient electrically nonconductive layers 342 comprise glass while the electncally conductive, substantially tianspaient layei 344 and elements 350 of layei 348 comprise indium tin oxide (ITO) Anti-reflection coatings, not show n mav be provided on selected surfaces of the layers shown in FIG 19b, including ITO layer 344 and transparent electrrcally nonconduct e lay ers 342 to improve the overall transmission efficiency of the switchable hologiaphic optical element In tins embodiment, all layers 342-348 are ananged like a stack of pancakes on a common axis 354

Layers 342-348 mav have substantially thin cioss-sectional widths thereby provided a substantially thin switchable hologiaphic optical element in the aggiegate Moie particularly, switchable holographic layer 346 may have a cross-sectional w idth of 5-12 microns ( the piecise w idth depending on the spectral bandwidth and required diffraction efficiency) w hile glass layeis 342 may have a cioss-sectional width of 4- 8 millimeters ITO elements

350 must have a snbstant allv thin cross section to be transparent

As shown moie particularly, in FIG 20, each ITO element 350 is selectively coupled to a voltage source 356 contained w ithin sv stem controllei 32S v ia thin conductive lines 360, multiplexers 362 and switches 364, wheiein the multiplexeis 362 and switcheis 364 opeiate in accordance with control signals generated by control logic ciicuit 366 w hich m turn operates rn accordance with teceiv ed image signals The control signals generated by control logic ciicuit 366 aie such that anv one oi moie of the ITO elements 350 are coupled to voltage source 356 at any one point in time Alternativ ely all ITO elements mav be decoupled from voltage source 356 at any point in time FIG 20 show s a 4x4 a ay of 110 elements ^0 with a substantial distance between each filled by electncallv nonconductiv e isolator It is to be noted that the switchable holographic optical element 340 shown in FIG 20 may hav e application with an anav hav ing a greater number of rows and columns of ITO elements 350 Furthei FIG 20 shows a large spacrng betw een ITO layeis so that conductive lines 360 can be easily identified In practice the spacing betw een ITO elements ^"^ϋ need not be so large With continuing lefeience to TIG 19b and 20, 1 10 layer 344 is generally coupled to one terminal (l e , ground) ot v oltage souiee 356 (not show n in FIG 19b) Accordingly, when one of the ITO elements 350 is coupled to the positiv e teiminal of voltage souiee 356 a conesponding electric field is established within the under ly ing subarea ol sw itchable hologiaphic layer 356 Those subareas of switchable holographic layer 346 where an electnc held is established aie said to opeiate in the inactive state The subareas of switchable hologiaphic layci ^{^}46 w here no electric field is established aie said to operate in the active state Inactive subareas transmit substantial all light incident theieon w ithout subsiantral alteratron In contrast, subareas that are activated diffiact select bandw ldth of light incident theieon

Switchable hologiaphic layers 336 ot TIG 19a and 346 of Fib 19b record holograms, in one embodiment, using the techniques descnbed above In one embodiment a high diffiaction efficiency and a fast rate at which the optical element can be sw itched between activ e and inactiv e states, chaiactenze the resulting holograms In the polymei dispersed liquid ciy stal (PDLC) matenal fonned embodiment of switchable holographic layers 336 and 346, the lecoided hologiams can be switched from a diffiacting state to a passing state with the creation and elimination of the electnc field mentioned abov e Ideally the holograms would be Bragg (also known as thick or volume phase) type in oidei to achieve high d.ffiaction efficiency, or Raman Nath (also known as thin phase) type in ordei to achreve high angular bandwidth

The hologiam lecoided m switchable hologiaphic layers 336 and 346 can be based on PDLC matenals The hologiams, in one embodiment lesult in an lnteiference pattern created by recordmg beams, I e., a reference beam and an object beam, w ithin layei 336 oi 346 Inteiaction of the laser light with the PDLC matenal causes photo-pol menzation Imeisection of the lecoiding beams during the hologram recording process results in gratings (e g , Biagg giatings) containing alternate liquid ciystal droplets (1 e , high concentration of liquid crystal in polymei) and polymei (1 e , haidly any liquid ciystal) surfaces When a voltage is supplied to ITO layers 334, for example, rn FIG 19a the hqurd crystal droplets rn layer 336 reorrent and change the refractive index of the layer thereby essentially eiasing the hologiam recorded theiein The material used withm layers 336 and 346 is configuied to opeiate at a high switching late (e g the matenal can be switched m tens of microseconds, which is very fast w hen compaied with conventional liquid ciystal display materials) and a high diffraction efficiency

FIGS 21a-21c lllustiate operational aspects of one embodiment of the optical system 310 shown m FIG 18a In addition to the optical system 310 FIGS 21a c show a conventional flat panel display 370 and a conventional beam sphttci 372 In one embodiment, lust optical subsystem 312 comprises three thin phase, transmissiv e type sw itchable hologiaphic optical elements 312a-312c Here transmissive type relates to a switchable hologiaphic optical element w hich emits diffiacted light from a surface opposite the surface that receiv es light to be diffiacted In the embodiment show n m FIG 21b, second optical subsystem 316 compnses three v olume phase lcllective type sw itchable holographic optical elements 316a-316c A reflective type hologiaphic optical clement emits diffiacted light from the same suiface that receives light to be diffracted T he optical system 310 shown in FIG 21a-c lllustiates a technique that uses the angular sensitivity and polaiization chaiactenstics ol the sw itchable hologiaphic optical elements 312a-312c and 316a-316c to lllumrnate the flat panel 370 using only ambient light vmbient light is incident on the first optical subsystem 312 over a range ol incidence angles ranging from approximately 40 degiees to grazing FIG 21a illustrates the propagation of one such lay RI incident on the front suiface ot fust opi'eal subsystem 312 In FIG 21a system contiollei 3 I S activ ates hologiaphic optical elements 312a and 316a and deactivates hologiaphic optical elements 312b, 312c 316b and 316c Activated holographic optical elements 312a and 316a opeiate to diffract a select bandw idth of v isible light incident thereon In this embodiment, optical elements 312a and 316a when activ ated operate to diffiact a nanovv b indwidth of led light Light of bandwidths outside of nanovv led bandwidth aie tiansmitted through activ ated optical elements 312a and 316a without substantial alteration Optical elements 312b 312c 316b and 316c hen inactive, operate to transmit substantially all light incident theieon w ithout substantial alteiation

In FIG 21a ambient lay RI constitutes the nanovv led bandwidth component of ambient light RI, after being icceiv ed at the front surface of activ ated optical element 312a, is diffracred into a zero order beam R4 and first older dilhactcd beams R2 and R3 The uansmissive tv pe switchable holographic optical elements 312a-312c are designed so that lay such as III w ith piedominantly large incidence angles measured with respect to the optical axis 374 w hich rs noimal to the front sui face, are cuffiacted to produce first order rays, such as R3, which have dnections making α small emergence angle measuicd with lespect to the optical axis 374 For example, refening to the calculated data in FIG 23 incidence angles of lays RI in the range of 40-90° will result in diffracted emeigence angles coverrng an emergence angle lange of approxrmately 20° m air Anothei featuie of the transmissiv e tvpe electrically switchable holographic optical elements used in this embodiment is that they tend to giv e maximum dilfiaction efficiency for p-polanzed light, that is for light rays whose polaiization v ectoi lies m the plane of incidence The drffractron efficiency for light polarized m a direction noimal to the plane of incidence, that is the s-polanzed light, can be as low as a few percent of the maximum p- polarrzcd diffraction efficiency In contiast the reflective tvpe switchable holographic optical elements used m this embodiment, do not exhibit a piefeience toi any partrculai polaiization state, at least over the range of incident angles c nsidered by the oiesent invention

Due to the pic 'ened polaiization dnection of the transmissive type switchable holographic optical element, 312a-312c. the light lays which are drlfracted w ith high efficiencies will be p-polaπzed. Thus, R3 as shown in FIG 21a is p polanzed light Upon passing through quarter wave plate 314, R3 becomes circularly polarized and is receiv ed on the front suiface of activated leflective type switchable holographic optical element 316a Vetivated, optical element 316a diffiacts R3. the diffiacted light (R5) emerging from the front surface of optical clement 316a Si .ee the variations in uections of R3 tend to be small, R3 will satisfy the Bragg diffraction equation tor the volume phase reflective type hologiaphic optical element 316a The diffracted ray will not suffer a polaiization change since the reflective type hologiam 16a is not polarization sensitive. Accordingly, the ray diffracted by activ ated hologiaphic optical element 316a passes through quarter wave plate 314 and acquires a polaiization orthogonal to that of R3 In othei woids, altei passing through quarter wave plate 314 the ray will become piedominantly s-polanzed This s-polanzed rav is not significantly diffracted by any of the optical elements 312a-312c it being undeistood that activ ated holographic optical element 312a is not sensitive to s- polarized light Thus, the s-polanzed light ti ansmits through activated optical element 312a substantially unaltered After emerging Horn the fust optical subsystem I is reflected off beam splitter 372 and illuminates flat panel display 370 Λccoidmgly. it is seen that ambient lι_nt RI is collected from a variety of incidence angles to illuminate flat panel display 3 0 foi a vievv ei 376

FIG 21b shows opeiational aspects ot the optical system 310 of FIG. 21a after system controller 318 deactivates optical elements 312a and 316a activ ates optical elements 312b and 316b while maintaining optical elements 312c and 316c in the inactive state Optical elements 312b and 316b are designed to diffract nanow band blue light w hen activated Fuithei, when activ ated, optical elements 312b and 316b transmit substantially all light outside nanovv band blue light without substantial alteiation The operational aspects shown in FIG 21b are substantially similar to that shown in FIG 21 a w ith lay RI i cpiesenting the blue bandwidth component of ambient light Λceoidingly, lav RI is converted bv optical system 310 into ray R5 which is used to illummate flat panel display 370 v beam splutei 372

FIG 21 c show s opeiational aspects ot the optical system 310 of FIG. 21 b after system controller 318 activates optical elements 312c and 316c and deactiv ates optical elements 312b and 316b while maintaining optical elements 312a and 316a in the inactive status Optical elements 312c and 316c are designed to diffract nanow band green light when activ e Fuithei, when activ e, optical elements 312c and 316c transmit substantially all light outside of nanow band gieen light without substantral alteiation The operational aspects shown m FIG. 21c are substantially similar to that shown m FIGS 21 a and 2 lb w ith ιay RI representing the green bandwidth component of ambient light Accoidingly, ambient light lay RI of nanovv band green light is converted by optical system 310 into lay 115 w hich is used to illuminate flat panel display 3⁷0 via beam splitter 372. System contiollei 18 continuously cycles the activation and deactivation of pairs of optical elements within subsystems 312 and 316 as descnbed in TIGS 21a-21c In this manner, flat panel display 370 is cyclically illuminated with red, blue, and green bandwidth light as conesponding monochrome components of full images are sequentially displayed If the cycle time is sutticrently fast vrewer 376 will eye integrate the three red, blue, and green illuminated monochrome components to obseive a sequence of full color images. In the embodiments shown in FIGS 21 a-21c, optical elements 312a-312c comprise thin phase holograms while optical elements 16a-316c compnse volume phase hologiams Volume phase have higher diffraction efficiencies when compαied to thin phase hologiams In theory, volume phase holograms have a theoretical maximum diffiaction eff iciency of 100% In volume phase holograms, the diffracted light will have two main components, a zero oidei beam, which propagates in the duection of the incident beam and first order diffracted beams that satisfy the Biagg diffiaction lelation, which will normally cany the bulk of the diffracted light energy. Theie may also be highei older diffiaction components, repiesenting a small proportion of the total diffracted light. If the v olume phase hologiam has close to maximum theoietical efficiency, problems of dealing with zero order light aie laigely eliminated The range of directions for w hich volume phase holograms will have high diffraction efficiencies is often letei ied to as angulai bandwidth Angular bandwidth is determmed by the Kogelnrk coupled wave theoiy w hich states that high Biagg efficiencies will only occur for incident beams that are within a few degiees ol the theoietical beam incidence angle that exactly satisfies the Bragg diffraction condition. Thin phase holograms, in contrast, w ill give rise to + 1 diffiacted ordeis and a zero order The maximum diffraction efficiency in the first oidei is 33 8"ό foi a sinusoidal profile and 40 4% foi a square profile. In practice, only one of the diffracted oideis can be used The unused dif fiacted light in the zero order light may present stray light problems Howevei, one advantage of using thin phase hologiams is that they have large angular bandwidths Accordingly, in the embodiment show n in FIGS 21a-21c, tiansmissive tv pe switchable holographic optical elements 312a-312c comprise thin phase holograms having a wide angular bandwidth. This high angular bandwidth in essence allows the optical system 310 to collect ambient light ov ci a laige lange of incidence angles made with respect with the optical axis 374 Fuithei, the reflectiv e type hologiaphic optical elements 316a-316c comprise volume phase holograms w ith a smalle i angulai bandwidth but highei diffraction efficiency However, given that R3 has a relatively small angle of liicrdence w hen reccrv ed bv the second optrcal subsystem, substantially all diffractive light R3 satisfies the Biagg coition Accordingly, optical elements 316a-316c provide a high diffraction efficiency with respect to incrdent rays R3 It is to be understood, however, that optrcal elements 312a-312c in FIGS. 21a-21c may comprise volume phase hologiams Howev ei. volume phase hologiams with their narrower angular bandwidth, may limit collection of ambient light to a na ovvei range of incidence angles As such, fiist optical subsystem 312 employing volume phase hologiams may not provide as much ot α concentrated beam for illumination of flat panel display 370 when compaied to first optrcal subsystem compnsmg thin phase tiansmissive type holograms. The distinction betw een thin phase and volume phase holograms is usually made on the basis of a Q

paiametei w hich is defined bv the follow ing equation

Q=2πλ d / [n A ²] where λ is the vvav elength

A is the giating period d is the thickness of the hologiapnic medium n is the refractiv e index of the hologiaphic medium

Typically thin phase hologiams have Q values smaller than one while volume phase holograms have Q values greater than one A mote complete distinction between thin phase and volume phase holograms can be found within Klein W R and C ook B D IEEE Tiansactions on Sonrcs and Ultrasonics SU- 14, pp 123-134 (1967)

FIGS 22a-22e l ustiate opeiational aspects of OIK embodiment of the optical system 320 shown in FIG 18b In TIGS 22a-22c, l ust optical subsy stem 322 compi iscs three thrn phase transmissive switchable holographic optical elements 322a 322c that cvchcallv and sequentially diffracts red, green, and blue bandwidth light In one embodiment each of the optical elements 322a-322e is defined by the structure shown in FIG 19a However, first optical subsystem mav define a single sw itchable holographic optrcal element which simultaneously diffracts red. green, and blue bandw idth light in lesponse to a single activ ation signal generated by system controller The first optical subsystem may also comprise a single oi thiee distinct static holographic optical elements that simultaneously and conn luously diffract led -.icen, and nine bandwidth light The present embodiment will be described w ith fust optic. 1 subsystem compnsmg thiee sw tchable holographic optical elements

The second optical subsystem 326 defines a ilfiactive display and comprises three volume phase switchable leflective holographic optical elements 326a-326c Each of the optical elements 326a-326c comprises, in one embodiment the stiuctuie shown in I IGS 19b and 20 It is noted that system controller 328 can simultaneously activate one or moie of the I TO elements 350 (See FIGS 19b and 20) of one or all three of the optical elements 326a 326c in lesponse to receiv ing one oi tluee frames of image signals, respectively The present embodiment w ill be descnbed ith lespect to sv stem control lei activating one or more of the ITO elements 350 of a one of the optical eleineins 326a-326c in lesponse to leceiv mg a single fiame of image signals Further, the present embodiment ill be descnbed with system contiollci 328 activating corresponding pairs of optical elements in both the first and second optical subsystems at anv one time w hile deactivating the remammg optical elements For example, m FIG 22a optical elements 322a and 326a aie activated while the remaining are deactivated, in FIG 22b optical elements 322b and 326b aie activated w hile the remaining are deactivated, and m FIG 22c optical elements 322c and 326c aie activated w hile the lemaining aie deactiv ated

The optical element 322a in TIGS 22a-22c diffiacts the p-polanzed red bandwidth component of light incident theieon when opuating in the active state Fuithe optical element 322a passes the remammg components of the incident light w ithout substantial alteiation w hen opeiating in the active state In the inactive state, optical element 322a passes substantially all incident light without substantial alteration Optical element 322b, when operating in the activ e state, diffiacts the p-polanzed blue bandwidth component of incident light while passmg the remaining components without substantial alteiation In the inactive state, optical element 322b passes substantially all incident light without substantial alteiation Optical element 322c, when activated, diffracts the p- polarrzcd gieen bandw idth component ot incident light while passing the remaining components without substantial alteration Optical element 322c, in the inactiv e state, passes substantially all components of incident light without substantial alteiation Activated subaieas of optical element 326a diffnct red bandwidth light circularly polarized by quarter wave plate 324 w hile passing the lemainmg components oi the incident light without substantial alteration The red bandwidth light diffracted by activated subaieas in optieal element 326a emerges from the same surface that receives the incident light Inactive subareas ot optical element 326a pass substantially all light mcident thereon without substantial alteiation Activated subaieas of optic il element 326b diffract blue bandwidth light circularly polarized by quarter w ave plate 324 while passing the remaining components thereof without substantial alteration The blue bandw idth light diffiacted bv optical element 326b emerges from the same surface that receives the incident light The inactiv e subaieas of optical clement 32υb pass substantially all incident light without substantial alteration The activated subareas of optical element 326e diffracts gieen bandwidth light circularly polaπzed by quarter wav e plate 324 while passing the leinaimng components thereof without substantial alteration The diffiacted gieen bandw idth light emeiges from the same suiface that receives the incident light Deactivated subareas of optical element 326c pass substantially all incident light without substantial alteration

The operational aspects of system 320 show n in FIGS 22a-22c are in many ways similar to that shown in FIGS 21a 21c More particularly the fust optieal subsystem 322 collects ambient light over a range of incidence angles In 1 IG 22α system contiollei 328 activates optic il element 322a Additionally, system controller 328 activates one oi moie subaieas of optieal element 326a in lesponse to leceiving a frame of rmage signals The remaining optical components ate rendered inactive by system controller 328 In FIG 22a, ambient ray RI comprises the p-polanzed red bandvv dth component of ambient light RI, after being received by activated optical element 322a, is diffiacted into a zero oider beam R4 and fust order diffracted beams R2 and R3 The thin phase transmissiv e ty pe sw itchable hologiaphic optical elements 322a-322c are designed so that rays, such as RI, with predominantly laige incidence angles aie diffiacted to giv c I lse to diffractive first order rays, such as R3, that have directions making α small cmeigence angle w ith lespeet to the optical axis 374 Diffracted p-polanzed red bandwidth light R3 passes through quaitei av e plate 324 and becomes circularly polarized before it is received by an activated or deactivated subarea of optical element 326a The present embodiment will be described with reference to R3 being leceiv ed by an activated subaiea ot optical element 326a The activated subarea of optical element 326a diffiacts R3, the diffiacted light R5 emeiging from the same surface that receives R3 R5 passes back through quarter w av e plate 324 and acquires a polaiization state orthogonal to that of R3. In other words, after passing through quaitei wav e plate 324 R5 w ill become piedominantly s-polanzed R5 passes through optical elements 322a 322c w ithout substantial alteiation to be view ed by observer 376

FIG 22b shows system 320 of FIG 22a just aftei system controller deactivates optical elements 322a and 326a and activates optical element 322b and one oi moie subareas of optical element 326b Again, the subareas of optical element 326b aie activated by controllei 328 in lesponse to controller 328 receiving a frame of rmage signals In FIG 22b, ambient lay RI comprises the p-polanzed blue bandwidth component of ambient light RI passes through optical element 322a without substantial alteiation RI, after being received by activated optical element 322b, is diffiacted into a zero oider beam R4 and first oidei diffracted beams R2 and R3 Diffracted p- polarized blue bandwidth light R3 passes through quarter v av e plate 324 and becomes circularly polarized before rt is received by an activated or deactivated subaiea of optical element 326b The present embodrment will be described with lefeience to R3 being leceived by an activ ated subaiea of optical element 326b. The activated subarea of optical element 326b diffracts R3, the diffiacted light R emeiging from the same surface that receives R3 R5 passes back through quaitei wav e plate 324 and ,'cqunes a polarrzation state orthogonal to that of R3. In other words, after passrng through quarter wav e plate 324 115 will become predominantly s-polarrzed. R5 passes through optical elements 322a-322c without substantial alteiation to be viewed by observer 376.

FIG 22c shows system 320 of FIG 22b just aftei sv stem controller deactivates optical elements 322b and 326b and activates optical element 322c and one oi more subaieas of optical element 326c. Again, the subareas of optical element 326c aie activated by controllei 328 in lesponse to controller 328 receiving a frame of image signals In FIG 22c, ambient lay RI comprises the p-polanzed green bandwidth component of ambient light. RI passes through optical element 322a and 322b w ithout substantial alteration RI, after being received by activated optical element 322c, is diffiacted into a zero oidei beam R4 and first order diffracted beams R2 and R3. Diffracted p-polanzed gieen bandwidth light R3 passes through quarter wave plate 324 and becomes circularly polarized befoie it is leceiv ed by an activated oi deactiv ated subaiea of optical element 326c. The present embodiment will be descnbed with lefeience lo 113 being l eceived by an activated subarea of optical element 326c The activ ated subaiea of optical element 326b diffiacts R3 the diffiacted light R5 emerging from the same surface that receiv es R3 R5 passes back through quai tei w ave plate 324 and acquires a polarization state orthogonal to that of R3 In otliei woids. after passing through quanei wave plate 324, R5 will become predominantly s- polarized R5 passes through optical elements 322a-322c v ithout substantial alteration to be viewed by observer 376.

While the piesent invention has been descnbed w ith refeience to particular embodiments, it will be understood that the embodiments aie lllustiated and that the invention scope is not so limited. Any variations. modifications, additions and improvements to the embodiments described are possible These vanations, modifications, additions and improvements may tall within the scope of the invention as detailed withm the follownm claims

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 An appaiatus compnsing a fust pan of hologiaphic optical elements electi ally switchable between active and inactive states; wherein a fust hologiaphic optical element of die first pan, when operating m the inactive state, is configured to tiansmit first bandwidth light substantially unaltered, wherein a second hologiaphic optical clement ol the fust pair, when operatmg rn the inactive state, is configured to tiansmit first bandwidth light substantially unaltered, wherein the fust holographic optical element, when operating in the active state, is configured to diffract first bandwidth light. w herein the second hologiaphic optical element w hen operating in the active state, is configured to diffract fiist bandw idth light leceived on a fust sui face theieof, wheiein first bandwidth light received on the first surface theieof and subsequently diffiacted bv the second holographic optical element, emerges from the first suiface theieof. and a quartei w av e positioned bet een the lust and second holographic optical elements of the first pair

2. The appaiatus oi claim 1 fuithei compnsing a second pan of holographic optical elements electncally switchable between active and inactive states; a third pan of hologiaphic optical elements electncally switchable between active and inactive states; wherein a fust hologiaphic optical element of the second pair, when operating in the inactive state, is configured to tiansmit second bandwidth light substantially unaltered, wherein a second hologiaphic optical clement of the second pair, when operating m the inactive state, is configured to transmit second bandwidth light substantially unaltered, wheiein a fust holographic optical element of the third pair, when operating m the inactive state, is configured to tiansmit thud bandw idth light substantially unaltered, wherein a thud holographic optical element of the thud pair, when operating in the inactive state, is configuied to tiansmit thud bandw idth light substantially unaltered, w heiein the second hologiaphic optical element of the second pair, when operating m the active state, is configuied to diffiact second bandwidth light icceived on a second surface thereof, and wherein the second bandwidth light leceived on the second surface theieof and diffracted by the second holographic optical element of the second pan, emeiges from the second surface thereof, wherem the second holographic optrcal element of the third pair, when operating in the active state, is configured to diffiact thud bandwidth light leceived on α thud suiface thereof, and wherern the third bandwidth lrght receiv ed on the thud suiface thereof and diffiacted bv the second holographic optical element of the thrrd pair, emerges from the thud surface theieof, wherein the quaitei wave plate is positioned betw een the first and second holographic optical elements of the second pair, and. wherein the quaitei wave plate is positioned between the fust and second holographic optical elements of the third pair

3 The appaiatus of claim 1 wheiein the lust and second holographic optical elements are formed from polymer dispersed liquid crystal matenal

4 The appaiatus of claim 2 fuithei compnsing a control cucuit and a voltage source wherein the control circuit is configuied to selectively couple the v oltage souiee to each of the first and second holographic optical elements of the fust, second and third pairs of holographic optical elements wherem each of the first, second, and third pairs of hologiaphic optical elements opeiate in the inactive state when coupled to the voltage source, and wherein each of the fust, second, and thud pans of hologiaphic optical elements operates in the active state when coupled to the v oltage souiee

5 The appaiatus of claim 1 fuithei compnsmg an image display, wherein diffracted light transmrtted through the first hologiaphic optical element illuminates the image display

6 An apparatus compnsing a fust pan of hologiaphic optical elements each hav ing a fust suiface aligned on a common axis so that the first sui faces face each othei wherein a first hologiaphic optical element of the lust pair is configured to diffract first bandwidth light, w herein a second hologiaphic optical element ol the first pair is configured to diffract first bandwidth light, w heiem the second hologiaphic optical element is configuied to diffract first bandwidth light received on a fust suiface theieol w heiein first bandw idth light leceived on the first surface thereof and subsequently diffracted by the second hologiaphic optical element, emeiges from the first surface thereof

7 The apparatus of claim 6 w heiein the fust hologiaphic optical element is configured to transmit light, other than fust bandw idth light, w ithout substantial alteiation and wherein the second holographic optical element is configured to tiansmit light othei than fust bandw idth light w ithout substantial alteration

8 The appaiatus of claim 7 furthei compnsmg a quaitei wave plate aligned with the first surfaces of the first pair of hologiaphic optical elements and positioned between the first pair of holographic optical elements

9 The appaiatus of claim 6 w herein the second hologiaphic optical element is switchable between active and inactive states, wheiein the second hologiaphic optical element is configured to transmit first bandwidth light substantially unalteied when opeiating in the inactive state and wherein the second holographic optical element, when opeiating in the activ e state, is configuied to diffiact first bandwidth light received on the first surface thereof, wherein fust bandw idth light leceiv ed on the first surface thereof and subsequently diffracted by the second holographic optical element, emeiges from the fust suiface thereof

10 The appaiatus of claim 6 wherein the fust holographic optical element is sw itchable between active and inactive states, where n the first hologiaphic optical element is configuied to tiansmit first bandwidth light substantially unaltered when operating in the inactive state, and wheiein the fust hologiaphic optical element is configured to diffract first bandwrdth light when opeiating in the active state, and, w heiein the second holographic optical element is switchable between active and mactive states, wherem the second holographic optieal element is configuied to tiansmit first bandwidth light substantially unaltered when operating in the inactive state, and wheiein the second hologiaphic optical element, when operating in the active state, is configuied to diffiact fust bandw idth light leceiv ed on the first surface thereof, wherein first bandwidth light receiv ed on the fust suiface theieof and subsequently diffracted by the second holographic optical element, emerges from the fust suiface thereof

1 1 The appaiatus of claim 10 further compnsing a quarter wave plate aligned with the first surfaces of the first pair of hologiaphic optical elements and positioned betvv een the first pair of holographic optical elements

12 The appaiatus of claim 1 1 furthei compnsing a second pan of hologiaphic optical elements electncally switchable between active and inactive states; a third pan of hologiaphic optical elements electncally switchable between active and inactive states, w heiein a fust holographic optical element of the second pair, when operating in the inactive state, is configured to transmit second bandwidth light substantially unaltered, w herein a second holographic optical element of the second pair, when operating in the inactive state, is configured to tiansmit second bandwidth light substantially unaltered, w herein a fust holographic optical element of the third pair, when operating m the inactive state, is configuied to tiansmit thud bandw idth light substantially unaltered, w heiein α thud holographic optical element of the third pan, when operating m the inactive state, is configuied to tiansmit thud bandw idth light substantially unaltered, wherein the second holographic optical element of the second pair, when operating in the active state, is configured to diffract second bandwidth light icceived on a second surface thereof, and wherein the second bandwidth light leceiv ed on the second surface thereof and diffiacted by the second holographic optical element of the second pair, emeiges from the second suiface theieof, w herein the second hologiaphic optical element ol the thud pair, when operating in the active state, is configured to diffiact thud bandwidth light leceiv ed on v third suiface thereof, and wherem the third bandwidth light receiv ed on the third suiface theieof and diffiacted by the second holographic optical element of the third pair, emerges from the third suiface thereof, wherein the quaitei wave plate is positioned betw een the first and second holographic optical elements of the second pair, and, wherein the quaitei wave plate is positioned betv een the fust and second holographic optical elements of

13. The apparatus of claim 1 1 wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are formed from polymer dispersed liquid crystal material.