An augmented reality display based on a planar waveguide made in photo-thermo-refractive glass had been demonstrated. The monolithic integration of multiplexed volume Bragg gratings with the waveguide platform provided in/out-coupling and image transmission from a portable projector. Design and calculation of the grating configuration was performed. The optical replication method was simulated and implemented for manufacturing the multiplexed coupling elements. Resulted field of view was limited by the projection system of the prototype, however can be expanded beyond 50o.

The paper describes a stable method for multiplexed recording of the Bragg diffraction gratings for waveguides using a phase mask. Diffraction waveguides in this experiment were made of photo-thermo-refractive glass. Two types of the phase mask are considered: surface and volume. Their comparison is based on diffraction characteristics of manufactured single and multiplexed Bragg gratings. The experimental results showed the advantage of surface phase mask application. To confirm the efficiency of the proposed method, diffraction waveguides was successfully fabricated and integrated in see-through near-eye display.

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Diffraction waveguides are widely used in augmented reality devices as information display systems for the introduction of data into the human visual field in order to supplement information about the world around us. This paper formulates the principles of radiation conversion in diffraction waveguides made of photo-thermo-refractive glass on the basis of multiplexed volume holographic gratings, and the advantages and disadvantages of high spectral-angular selectivity are analyzed. In the optical scheme, each of the superimposed volume holographic gratings in the diffraction waveguide forms a corresponding part of the composite angular field of view of the augmented reality device. A proposed mathematical model based on angular multiplexing made it possible to synthesize the diffraction optical element for a new type of diffraction waveguide made from photo-thermo-refractive glass and to create a prototype with an angular resolution of at least 3.0 ± 0.5′, with a brightness change in the image of less than 20% and with a composite angular field of view of 32°.

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