34.4L: <i>Late‐News Paper</i> : Polarization Independent Projection Systems Using Thin Film Polymer Polarization Gratings and Standard Liquid Crystal Microdisplays

Abstract

Abstract We report on our progress in using polymer Polarization Gratings (PGs) to enhance the brightness of standard Liquid Crystal (LC) microdisplays. By replacing conventional polarizers with PGs, high transmittance (&gt;85%) and contrast ratios (&gt;300:1) can be achieved with common LC modes and unpolarized input light. Using this approach, we demonstrate a polymer‐PG projection display prototype with double the brightness compared to a polarizer‐based system using the same illumination (input acceptance angles≥±15°).