LIQUID CRYSTAL SWITCHABLE KINOFORM LENSES FOR COMBINER DISPLAYS

THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A SWITCHABLE LIQUID CRYSTAL LENS TO BE USED IN A SEE-THROUGH HELMET MOUNTED DISPLAY. SUCH LENS WOULD ALLOW THE HELMET WEARER TO FUSE DISPLAYED INFORMATION ON A SEE-THROUGH DOT-MATRIX DISPLAY AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD SCENE. THE LENS UTILIZES A LIQUID CRYSTAL SWITCHABLE, COMPUTER GENERATED, PHASE ONLY, HOLOGRAM (ALSO CALLED A KINOFORM OR BINARY OPTIC ELEMENT). THE PROPOSED WORK WOULD EXAMINE THE REQUIRED LITHOGRAPHIC DESIGN RULES TO PRODUCE SUCH A DEVICE AND ALSO THE ACHROMATIZATION OF SUCH A DEVICE. A REFRACTIVE EQUIVALENT SWITCHABLE PROTOTYPE LENS WOULD BE FABRICATED.