

On the microdisplay part, we discuss how an efficient, high brightness light engine improves the VR imaging system. Then, we dive into three main categories of LC functional devices: HDR microdisplay for VR, high-resolution-density, high-brightness LCoS for AR/VR light engines, and nearly 100% light efficiency planar LC optics. First, we review the basic structures of AR/VR displays and the key parameters with associated criteria. In this paper, we focus on advanced LC-based light engines and optical components for AR/VR applications. These new display platforms are mutually reinforcing with LC optics, resulting in many impressive, AR/VR-ready devices. Over the past decades, emerging technologies such as advanced liquid crystal (LC) materials and functional devices 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 have greatly reshaped the AR/VR display systems, enabling this advanced information technology to be truly integrated into people’s lives. Since the 1990s, AR and VR experienced their first boom ushering in the dawn of evolution in display and information platforms 12. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge for micro-LED to overcome is the mass transfer yield and defect repair 11, which in turn affects the cost.ĪR and VR have potential to revolutionize the ways we perceive and interact with digital information as promising next-generation displays. Micro-LEDs offer an ultrahigh luminance, long lifetime, and high pixel density, and are particularly attractive for the see-through AR displays 10, especially when the ambient light is strong. Recently, micro-LEDs 7 and mini-LEDs 8 are emerging the former can offer an extremely high luminance while the latter can serve either as a locally dimmable backlight for high-dynamic-range (HDR) 9 LCDs or as an emissive display itself. After several decades of extensive research and development in materials and devices, and heavy investment in manufacturing technologies, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) 1, 2, 3 and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) 4, 5, 6 displays have become the dominant technologies. The operation principles, potential applications, and future challenges of these advanced LC devices will be discussed.ĭisplay devices have become ubiquitous in our daily lives their applications range from smartwatches, smartphones, pads, computer monitors, TVs, data projectors, to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets, just to name a few. Finally, the ultrathin planar diffractive LC optical elements, such as geometric phase LC grating and lens, have found useful applications in AR and VR for enhancing resolution, widening field-of-view, suppressing chromatic aberrations, creating multiplanes to overcome the vergence-accommodation conflict, and dynamic pupil steering to achieve gaze-matched Maxwellian displays, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the high-speed LCoS spatial light modulators open a new door for holographic displays and focal surface displays. On the other hand, high-resolution-density, and high-brightness liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) is a promising image source for the see-through AR displays, especially under high ambient lighting conditions. Such a light engine is particularly attractive for compensating the optical loss of pancake structure to achieve compact and lightweight VR headsets.

The recently emerging high-dynamic-range (HDR) mini-LED backlit LCDs significantly boost the image quality and brightness and reduce the power consumption for VR displays. Being able to see through the LCD or OLED screen, the display contents will be blended with objects behind the display.Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and photonic devices play a pivotal role to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Transparent LCD displays and transparent OLED displays produce special effects to the display. The hologram displays are built using transparent LCD, transparent OLED displays, and direct LED wall with interactive capability. HOLOGRAM DISPLAYĪdvance Display provides custom-designed hologram display systems. Ultra-narrow bezel video wall displays, 4K large format multi-touch displays, custom-designed building directory displays, stretched displays and high bright LCD displays are some of the commercial displays from Advance Display. Ultra-narrow bezel video wall displays, 4K large format multi-touch displays, custom-designed building directory displays, stretched displays and high bright LCD displays are some of the commercial displays from Advance Display.Īdvance Display provides a comprehensive line of commercial displays. Advance Display provides a comprehensive line of commercial displays.
