Optimizing AR waveguide structures to enhance imaging quality

Optical waveguides represent a foundational technology in the field of augmented reality (AR). Through the use of grating structures, they redirect light pathways, enabling virtual images to be projected into the user's line of sight and seamlessly integrated with the real environment, thereby producing realistic augmented visual effects. Current advancements in optical waveguide technology are focused on enhancing optical performance, including improvements in transparency, minimization of color distortion, expansion of the field of view, and optimization of screen uniformity. This study focuses on the optical waveguide structure of augmented reality (AR) as the primary research subject. Grating and exit pupil expander (EPE) models were established, and three different algorithms—particle swarm optimization (PSO), evolutionary algorithm (EA), and step-descent Iteration (SDI)—were applied for model simulation and optimization. The optimization outcomes were integrated with the lens structure to identify a design that achieves optimal uniformity, aiming to enhance the imaging quality of AR glasses. The findings reveal that optimizing the lens structure resulted in the best field of view (FOV) at 30°, with SDI emerging as the most effective optimization method. The SDI-based design demonstrated superior uniformity and visual performance, improving uniformity by 86.66% and total energy efficiency by 79.13% compared to the original design.