Compact integral imaging 2D/3D compatible display based on liquid crystal micro-lens array

We propose a compact integral imaging 2D/3D compatible display based on a liquid crystal (LC) micro-lens array. The LC micro-lens array is combined with a polarisation switching layer (PSL) to realise the rapid switching of the polarisation direction, it’s a micro-lens array under the y-polarised light, and it’s equivalent to a flat glass under the x-polarised light. The proposed 2D/3D compatible display can be switched between the 2D and 3D display mode only by changing the voltage-driving states of the PSL. An LC material with high birefringence is utilised in the LC micro-lens array. Therefore, the fabricated LC micro-lens array has a short focal length. The LC micro-lens array has the advantages of high fill factor (square lens elements), large pitch, and it can be manufactured in large scale. In addition, the large pitch of the LC micro-lens array provides a large viewing angle for the reconstructed 3D image. An LC micro-lens array with a size of 45 mm×40 mm is fabricated and a compact integral imaging 2D/3D compatible display is developed, and the thickness of the integral imaging 2D/3D compatible display is only 13.48 mm. The structure of the proposed display is simple, compact, and easy to implement. Finally, the principle of the proposed 2D/3D compatible display is experimentally verified.