Luminit is another company working on LC-based photopolymers to create optical functionality. One of the features it was showing off was the creation of lenses and gratings for use in AR/VR headsets and other applications.
On display was a waveguide solution that was not used to inject an image, but only a simple beam of light (see figure). This creates a spot of light while looking through the waveguide. The company says it can create an exit pupil expander with a 22-degree field of view.
The other capability the company was showing was the ability to replicate a master. These devices must be fabricated in photopolymers with lasers and the writing process must be very controlled and can takes hours to expose. To become commercially viable, an inexpensive replication process is needed. Luminit demonstrated this in its booth by lighting up the original next to the replicated copy (photo). The company did not disclose how it does the replication, however.
Other capabilities demonstrated were the Round-Tip Display film for flat panels, which can increase the brightness of the display by recycling light back toward the viewer. The company’s Edge-lit Uniformity Tape product solves common problems associated with widely-spaced LED lighting. These problems include hot spots and other non-uniform characteristics that can be visible on the edges of LED flat panel TVs, as well as edge-lit lighting fixtures.
