Polarizers for High Angular, Spectral, and Efficiency Requirements (PHASER)

Polarizing beamsplitters are critical to optical systems which range from head-mounted displays (HMDs) to electronic cinema; their efficiency often dictating the size, weight and cost of such systems. Hence, nominal improvements in polarizer performancehave far-reaching implications. Relative to a figure of merit which assigns equal weights to polarizer efficiency, field of view and spectral coverage, we show that the performance of beamsplitting polarizers can be greatly enhanced. Innovative refinementsof age-old technology can yield a two-fold improvement, while the successful application of new technologies could offer a revolutionary four-fold improvement. Moreover, three of the newer technologies lead to beamsplitting polarizers which operate atnormal incidence; thereby opening up a host of new system geometries.Our proposed Phase I program involves the experiments and analyses necessary to establish the viability of several different approaches. It also involves the gathering of informationconcerning the availability, size limitations and cost of all materials and processes required to produce full-scale versions of each polarizer type. Hence, at the conclusion of the Phase I effort, not only will we be in a position to assess technicalviability, but also to assess the cost effectiveness of each approach.Successful development of any one of the proposed polarizers will have a profound effect upon the performance, size, weight and cost of numerous military and commercial optical systems.Relative to pancake-window-based HMDs, for example, such a development would enable an order of magnitude improvement in performance.