Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/30—Polarising elements
  • G02B5/3025—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state
  • G02B5/3033—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
  • G02B5/3041—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/30—Polarising elements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/30—Polarising elements
  • G02B5/3025—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state
  • G02B5/3033—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
  • G02B5/3041—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks
  • G02B5/305—Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/28—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00 for polarising
  • G02B27/283—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00 for polarising used for beam splitting or combining

Definitions

• an optical assembly including a first optical substrate including a first major surface; a multilayer polymeric optical film disposed on the first major surface of the first optical substrate and including a plurality of polymeric layers numbering greater than about 50 in total; and a first optical bonding layer having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 microns and disposed between, and making physical contact to, the first major surface of the first optical substrate and the multilayer polymeric optical film, the first optical bonding layer bonding the first optical substrate to the multilayer polymeric optical film and including a silanated amine.
• an polarizing beam splitter including a multilayer polymeric reflective polarizer disposed between first and second optical prisms, an optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the reflective polarizer to each of the first and second optical prisms and having an average thickness less than about 0.2 microns, wherein the first and second optical prisms cannot be separated from each other without damage to the reflective polarizer.
• a polarizing beam splitter including a multilayer polymeric reflective polarizer disposed between first and second optical prisms and including opposing first and second major surfaces; a first optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the first major surface of the reflective polarizer to the first optical prism; and a second optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the second major surface of the reflective polarizer to the second optical prism, wherein the first and second optical prisms cannot be separated from each other without damage to the reflective polarizer, and wherein for light at a wavelength of 0.6328 microns incident on the polarizing beam splitter from each of the first and second major surface sides of the reflective polarizer, the polarizing beam splitter has a reflected root mean square wavefront error of less than about 0.5.
• an optical assembly including a first optical substrate including a first major surface; an optical film disposed on the first major surface of the first optical substrate, such that for substantially normally incident light and for each wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range extending over at least 50 nanometers, the optical film reflects at least 60% of the incident light for at least a first polarization state; and a first optical bonding layer having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 microns and disposed between, and making physical contact to, the first major surface of the first optical substrate and the optical film, the first optical bonding layer bonding the first optical substrate to the optical film and comprising a silanated amine, and wherein for light at a wavelength of 0.6328 microns incident on the optical film from each major side of the optical film, the optical assembly has a reflected root mean squared wave front error of less than about 0.5.
• FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a polarizing beam splitter, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description
• FIG. IB is a side view of a polarizing beam splitter, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description.
• FIG. 1C is a side view of a polarizing beam splitter in operation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description
• FIGS. 2A and 2B provide side views of an optical assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description
• FIG. 3 is a side view of an optical assembly with curved surfaces, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description
• FIG. 4 is a side view of a multilayer polymeric optical film, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description.
• FIG. 5 is a side view of an optical lens assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present description.
• Multilayer optical films such as MOF reflective polarizers and optical filter films have not been widely adopted for reflecting imaging optics because they traditionally exhibit a relatively high wave-front error compared to a conventional reflective imaging plane (e.g., a multilayer coating made by physical vapor deposition, or a wire-grid coating.)
• a reflected wavefront error is defined as the degree of deviation seen in an optical wavefront when light is reflected off the surface of an optical component compared to that seen reflected from a perfectly flat (i.e., planar) surface.
• a transmitted wavefront error is defined as the degree of deviation seen in an optical wavefront when light is transmitted through an optical component (e.g., a lens).
• a silane coupling agent is used to adhere an optical film (e.g., a reflective polarizer MOF) directly to low-wave -front optics via a nanometer thick bonding layer, allowing the film to replicate the surface of the low-wave-front optics component to which it is adhered.
• an optical film e.g., a reflective polarizer MOF
• an optical assembly (e.g., a polarizing beam splitter, or an optical lens) includes a first optical substrate (e.g., a window, lens, or prism) including a first major surface; a multilayer polymeric optical film disposed on the first major surface of the first optical substrate; and a first optical bonding layer disposed between, and making physical contact to, the first major surface of the first optical substrate and the optical film.
• the first optical bonding layer bonds the first optical substrate to the optical film.
• the first optical bonding layer may include a silanated amine.
• the silanated amine may include one or more of a 3-aminophenyl trimethoxy silane (APTMS), a 3-aminopropyl trimethoxy silane (APrTMS), a 3-aminopropyl triethyl silane (APrTES), and a 3-aminophenyl triethoxy silane (APTES).
• the average thickness of the first optical bonding layer may be less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.25 microns, or less than about 0.2 microns, or less than about 0.15 microns.
• the first optical substrate may be a plane-parallel plate with opposing first and second major planar surfaces, such that the first major surface of the first optical substrate is the first planar major surface of the plane parallel plate.
• the first optical substrate is curved and includes opposing first and second curved major surfaces, such that the first major surface of the first optical substrate is the first curved major surface of the curved fist optical substrate.
• the first optical substrate may be an optical lens with opposing first and second major surfaces, at least one of which is curved, such that the first major surface of the first optical substrate in one of the first and second major surfaces of the optical lens.
• the optical film may include a plurality of polymeric layers numbering greater than about 50 layers in total.
• the optical film may include a reflective polarizer, such that, for substantially normally incident light and for at least one wavelength of light, the reflective polarizer may reflect at least 60% of the incident light having a first polarization state (e.g., light having a linear s-polarization state, also known as s-pol light) and transmit at least 60% of the incident light having an orthogonal second polarization state (e.g., p-pol light).
• a first polarization state e.g., light having a linear s-polarization state, also known as s-pol light
• p-pol light orthogonal second polarization state
• the first polarization state may be p-pol light and the second polarization state may be s-pol light.
• the first polarization state may be a linear polarization type, and the second polarization state may be a circular polarization state.
• the plurality of polymeric layers may form alternating first and second polymeric layers, where the first polymeric layers are substantially isotropic, and the second polymeric layers are substantially birefringent.
• the birefringent second polymeric layers may have in-plane indices of refraction nx and ny along orthogonal directions, where a difference between nx and ny is greater than about 0.01.
• the reflective polarizer may, for the at least one wavelength in the infrared wavelength range, reflect at least 60% of the incident light for the second polarization state.
• the optical film may include an optical reflector, such that, for substantially normally incident light, and for at least one wavelength in a visible wavelength range extending from about 400 nm to about 700 nm, the optical reflector reflects at least 60% of the incident light for each of mutually orthogonal first and second polarization states. In some embodiments, for at least one wavelength in an infrared wavelength range extending from about 750 nm to about 1200 nm, the optical reflector transmits at least 60% of the incident light for each of the first and second polarization states.
• the optical film may include an optical reflector, such that for substantially normally incident light and for at least one wavelength in an infrared wavelength range extending from about 750 nm to about 1200 nm, the optical reflector reflects at least 60% of the incident light for at least a first polarization state, and for at least one wavelength in a visible wavelength range extending from about 400 nm to about 700 nm, the optical reflector transmits at least 60% of the incident light for each of the first and an orthogonal second polarization states.
• an optical reflector such that for substantially normally incident light and for at least one wavelength in an infrared wavelength range extending from about 750 nm to about 1200 nm, the optical reflector reflects at least 60% of the incident light for at least a first polarization state, and for at least one wavelength in a visible wavelength range extending from about 400 nm to about 700 nm, the optical reflector transmits at least 60% of the incident light for each of the first and an orthogonal second polarization states.
• the optical assembly may further include a second optical substrate with a first major surface, and a second optical bonding layer.
• the second optical bonding layer may be disposed between and in physical contact with the first major surface of the second optical substrate and the optical film, bonding the second optical substrate to the optical film.
• the second optical bonding layer may be a silanated amine.
• the second optical bonding layer may have an average thickness less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.25 microns, or less than about 0.2 microns, or less than about 0.15 microns.
• the first optical substrate may be a prism, and the first major surface may be the hypotenuse of the prism.
• the second optical substrate may be a second prism, and the first major surface of the second optical substrate may be the hypotenuse of the second prism.
• a polarizing beam splitter includes a multilayer polymeric reflective polarizer disposed between first and second optical prisms, an optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the reflective polarizer to each of the first and second optical prisms, wherein the first and second optical prisms cannot be separated from each other without damage to the reflective polarizer.
• the optical bonding layer may have an average thickness less than about 0.2 microns.
• the polarizing beam splitter may have a reflected root mean square wavefront error of less than about 0.75 waves, or less than about 0.5 waves, or less than about 0.25 waves, or less than about 0.2 waves, at a wavelength of 0.6328 microns.
• the optical bonding layer may be a first optical bonding layer (bonding the first optical prism to a first side of the reflective polarizer) and a second optical bonding layer (bonding the second optical prism to a second side of the reflective polarizer).
• a polarizing beam splitter includes a multilayer polymeric reflective polarizer disposed between first and second optical prisms and including opposing first and second major surfaces; a first optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the first major surface of the reflective polarizer to the first optical prism; and a second optical bonding layer making physical contact with and bonding the second major surface of the reflective polarizer to the second optical prism.
• the first and second optical prisms cannot be separated from each other without damage to the reflective polarizer.
• the polarizing beam splitter may have a reflected root mean square wavefront error of less than about 0.5. In some embodiments, the polarizing beam splitter may have a transmitted root mean square wavefront error of less than about 0.07 waves at a wavelength of 0.6328 microns.
• an optical assembly including a first optical substrate including a first major surface; an optical film (e.g., a reflective polarizer, an optical reflector, etc.) disposed on the first major surface of the first optical substrate, such that for substantially normally incident light and for each wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range extending over at least 50 nanometers, the optical film reflects at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80% of the incident light for at least a first polarization state (e.g., light with a polarization state aligned to the x-axis, or alternately aligned to the y-axis); and a first optical bonding layer having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 microns and disposed between, and making physical contact to, the first major surface of the first optical substrate and the optical film, the first optical bonding layer bonding the first optical substrate to the optical film and comprising a silanated amine (e.g., APTMS, APrTMS, AP
• a silanated amine e
• FIGS. 1A-1C provide views of a polarizing beam splitter according to an embodiment described herein.
• FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an optical assembly 100 (e.g., a polarizing beam splitter) including a first optical substrate 10 (e.g., a first optical prism) and a second optical substrate 50 (e.g., a second optical prism), separated by a multilayer optical film (MOF) reflective polarizer 20.
• a first optical bonding layer 40 is disposed between a first major surface 11 of the first optical substrate 10 and the reflective polarizer 20.
• the first optical bonding layer 40 bonds the first optical substrate 10 to the reflective polarizer 20, and, in some embodiments, comprises a silanated amine.
• a silanated amine e.g., a silane coupling agent
• a second bonding layer 60 is disposed between a first major surface 51 of the second optical substrate 50 and an opposing side of the reflective polarizer 20
• FIG. IB shows a side view of the optical assembly 100 of FIG. 1A, providing additional details.
• Reflective polarizer 20 features a first major surface 24 and a second major surface 26 which are opposing sides of reflective polarizer 20.
• first optical bonding layer 40 is disposed between and adheres the first major surface 11 of optical substrate 10 and the first major surface 24 of reflective polarizer 20.
• first optical bonding layer 40 has an average thickness tl of less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.4 microns, or less than about 0.3 microns.
• second optical bonding layer 60 is disposed between and adheres the first major surface 51 of optical substrate 50 and the second major surface 26 of reflective polarizer 20.
• second optical bonding layer 60 has an average thickness t2 of less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.4 microns, or less than about 0.3 microns.
• FIG. 1C shows a side view of the optical assembly 100 of FIGS. 1A and IB, in operation as a polarizing beam splitter.
• incident light ray 200 which represents non-polarized light, enters in one surface of optical assembly 100, entering second optical substrate 50 (i.e., second optical prism 50).
• Second optical substrate 50 i.e., second optical prism 50.
• Light ray 200 passes through second bonding layer 60 substantially unaltered and impacts on a surface of reflective polarizer 20.
• reflective polarizer 20 allows light of a first polarization state 200p (e.g., p-pol light) to be transmitted through reflective polarizer 20, passing into first optical substrate 10 (i.e., first optical prism 20), and causes light of a second polarization state 200s (e.g., s-pol light) to be reflected (i.e., causing light ray 200 to split into 200p and 200s).
• first polarization state 200p e.g., p-pol light
• first optical substrate 10 i.e., first optical prism 20
• second polarization state 200s e.g., s-pol light
• light ray 200p is representative of a transmitted wavefront
• light ray 200s is representative of a reflected wavefront.
• FIG. 2A is a side view of an optical assembly 100a, according to an embodiment described herein.
• the first optical substrate is a first plane-parallel plate 10a including first planar major surface 11a and opposing second planar major surface 12a
• the second optical substrate is a second plane-parallel plate 50a including first planar major surface 51a and opposing second planar major surface 52a.
• optical assembly 100a includes a multilayer polymeric optical film (e.g., a reflective polarizer)20 disposed between first plane- parallel plate 10a and second plane-parallel plate 50a.
• a multilayer polymeric optical film e.g., a reflective polarizer
• a first optical bonding layer 40 is disposed between first plane-parallel plate 10a and optical film 20 (adhering first planar major surface 1 la to a first side of optical film 20).
• a second optical bonding layer 60 is disposed between first plane-parallel plate 50a and reflective polarizer 20 (adhering first planar major surface 5 la to a second side of optical film 20).
• first optical bonding layer 40 has an average thickness tl of less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.4 microns, or less than about 0.3 microns.
• second optical bonding layer 60 has an average thickness t2 of less than about 0.5 microns, or less than about 0.4 microns, or less than about 0.3 microns.
• first 10a and second 50a plane-parallel plates may represent a polarizing window or lens for transmitting light of a certain polarization type (e.g., p-pol or s-pol light).
• a certain polarization type e.g., p-pol or s-pol light
• the optical assembly may include only a first optical substrate 10a, and may not include second optical substrate 50a and second optical bonding layer 60.
• This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2B, depicting alternate embodiment optical assembly 100a’.
• the concepts described herein apply to optical assemblies including only a single substrate and single optical bonding layer, and do not in all embodiments require an optical film sandwiched between a first and second substrate. All reference numerals repeated in FIG. 2B refer to components common to like- numbered components in FIG. 2A, and are not further described herein.
• FIG. 3 is a side view of an optical assembly 100b with curved surfaces, according to an embodiment described herein. In the embodiment of FIG.
• first 10b and second 50b optical substrates may have one or more curved major surfaces.
• FIG. 3 shows both major surfaces 1 lb and 12b of the first optical substrate 10b, as well as both major surfaces 5 lb and 52b of second optical substrate 50b, as being curved, there may be some embodiments in which only a subset of these surfaces is curved.
• only major surface 12b of first optical substrate 10b may be curved, while surfaces 1 lb, 5 lb, and 52b (as well as the opposing major surfaces of optical film 20) are planar surfaces.
• optical assembly 100b may include only a first optical substrate 10b, and not include second optical substrate 50b or second optical bonding layer 60.
• the multilayer polymeric optical film 20 of the previous figures may be constructed from a plurality of layers of polymeric materials.
• FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the optical film 20 constructed as a multilayer optical film (MOF).
• the optical film 20 includes a plurality of alternating first polymeric layers 21 and second polymeric layers 22.
• the combined alternating first 11 and second 22 polymeric layers may number between 50 and 700.
• each first 21 and second 22 polymeric layer may have an average thickness less than about 500 nm.
• the first polymeric layers 21 may be substantially isotropic (i.e., exhibiting substantially identical indices of refraction when measured in different directions).
• the second polymeric layers 22 may be substantially birefringent (i.e., exhibiting two different indices of refraction when measured in different, orthogonal directions) and have in-plane indices of refraction nx and ny along orthogonal directions, with a difference between nx and ny being greater than about 0.01.
• Constructing the optical film 20 in such a manner creates a MOF which, when an incident light ray 200 impinges on the film, at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80% , or at least 90% of the incident light 200 having a first polarization state is reflected as reflected light ray 200s, and at least 60%, or at least 70%, or at least 80% , or at least 90% of the incident light 200 having a second polarization state is transmitted as transmitted light ray 200p (e.g., a reflective polarizer).
• transmitted light ray 200p e.g., a reflective polarizer
• FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate optical assembly, in the form of an optical lens assembly 100c.
• a multilayer optical film 20 is adhered to an optical lens 10c having opposing first 1 lc and second 12c major surfaces.
• disposed between and adhering the optical film 20 and optical lens 10c is an optical bonding layer 40.
• at least one of major surfaces 1 lc and 12c is curved.
• both major surfaces 1 lc and 12c, as well as optical film 20, are curved.
• optical lens assembly 100c may allow light of a first polarization state (e.g., s-pol light) to be reflected from a surface of the optical film 20, and light of a second polarization state (e.g., p-pol light) to be substantially transmitted through the optical fdm 20, passing through optical lens assembly 100c.
• optical assembly 100c may further include a second optical substrate 50c and a second optical bonding layer 60 (see, for example, the embodiment of FIG. 2A and FIG. 3).
• substantially aligned will mean aligned to within 20% of a width of the objects being aligned. Objects described as substantially aligned may, in some embodiments, be aligned to within 10% or to within 5% of a width of the objects being aligned.

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• 2020
  • 2020-08-17 US US17/760,517 patent/US12326586B2/en active Active
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  • 2020-08-17 JP JP2022517710A patent/JP2022550283A/ja active Pending
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