Laser-based displays: a review.

After the invention of lasers, in the past 50 years progress made in laser-based display technology has been very promising, with commercial products awaiting release to the mass market. Compact laser systems, such as edge-emitting diodes, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and optically pumped semiconductor lasers, are suitable candidates for laser-based displays. Laser speckle is an important concern, as it degrades image quality. Typically, one or multiple speckle reduction techniques are employed in laser displays to reduce speckle contrast. Likewise, laser safety issues need to be carefully evaluated in designing laser displays under different usage scenarios. Laser beam shaping using refractive and diffractive components is an integral part of laser displays, and the requirements depend on the source specifications, modulation technique, and the scanning method being employed in the display. A variety of laser-based displays have been reported, and many products such as pico projectors and laser televisions are commercially available already.

[1]  J. Secker,et al.  A study of the mechanism of insulin , 1925, The Journal of physiology.

[2]  T. Maiman.  Stimulated Optical Radiation in Ruby , 1960, Nature.

[3]  W. Dumke,et al.  STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION FROM GaAs p‐n JUNCTIONS , 1962 .

[4]  J. D. Kingsley,et al.  Coherent Light Emission From GaAs Junctions , 1962 .

[5]  W. E. Krag,et al.  SEMICONDUCTOR MASER OF GaAs , 1962 .

[6]  R. Adler,et al.  A television display using acoustic deflection and modulation of coherent light , 1966 .

[7]  Charles E. Baker,et al.  Laser display technology , 1968, IEEE Spectrum.

[8]  Z. Alferov.  AlAs-GaAs heterojunction injection lasers with a low room-temperature threshold , 1969 .

[9]  Equalization of Acoustooptic Deflection Cells in a Laser Color TV System. , 1970, Applied optics.

[10]  I. Hayashi,et al.  JUNCTION LASERS WHICH OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE , 1970 .

[11]  J. D. Beasley.  Electrooptic Laser Scanner for TV Projection Display. , 1971, Applied optics.

[12]  Laser television display unit , 1975 .

[13]  J. C. Dainty,et al.  Stellar Speckle Interferometry , 1976 .

[14]  J. Goodman.  Some fundamental properties of speckle , 1976 .

[15]  S. K. Gupta.  TEST AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES FOR GPS USER EQUIPMENT (USER EQUIPMENT) , 1978 .

[16]  K. Iga,et al.  GaInAsP/InP Surface Emitting Injection Lasers , 1979 .

[17]  Richard K. Moore,et al.  From theory to applications , 1986 .

[18]  G. L. Harnagel,et al.  High power diode laser arrays , 1992 .

[19]  O. Solgaard,et al.  Deformable grating optical modulator. , 1992, Optics letters.

[20]  Gerald A. Rynkowski,et al.  Polygonal scanners for TV and HDTV laser projectors: spatial and temporal tolerances versus resolution , 1993, Electronic Imaging.

[21]  Gerald F. Marshall,et al.  Advances in oscillatory optical scanners , 1995, Photonics West.

[22]  D H Sliney,et al.  Laser safety , 1995, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[23]  Daoqi Yu,et al.  Speckle noise in laser bar-code-scanner systems. , 1996, Applied optics.

[24]  Fred M. Dickey,et al.  Gaussian laser beam shaping: test and evaluation , 1996, Optics & Photonics.

[25]  G. Michael Morris,et al.  Diffractive optics technology for projection displays , 1996, Electronic Imaging.

[26]  T. Asakura,et al.  Speckle reduction in coherent information processing , 1996, Proc. IEEE.

[27]  Anisotropic speckle patterns in the light scattered by rough cylindrical surfaces. , 1997, Applied optics.

[28]  Hans Peter Herzig,et al.  Refractive and diffractive elements for micro-optical systems , 1997, Photonics West - Micro and Nano Fabricated Electromechanical and Optical Components.

[29]  Tuck Wah Ng,et al.  Optical distance sensing using digital speckle shearing interferometry , 1997 .

[30]  Jung Ho Park,et al.  Full color laser projection display using Kr-Ar laser (white laser) beam-scanning technology , 1997, Optics & Photonics.

[31]  D. A. Corder,et al.  Safety assessments of visible scanned laser beams , 1997 .

[32]  P. Loosen,et al.  Fiber-coupling technique with micro step-mirrors for high-power diode laser bars , 1997 .

[33]  Eric B. Takeuchi,et al.  Diode-pumped microlasers for display applications , 1998, Photonics West.

[34]  T. Tschudi,et al.  Speckle reduction in laser projection systems by diffractive optical elements. , 1998, Applied optics.

[35]  George L.-T. Chiu,et al.  Projection display throughput: Efficiency of optical transmission and light-source collection , 1998, IBM J. Res. Dev..

[36]  Jung Ho Park,et al.  200-in. full-color laser projection display , 1998, Electronic Imaging.

[37]  Hakan Urey,et al.  Optics designs and system MTF for laser scanning displays , 1999, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[38]  Adisorn Tuantranont,et al.  Self-aligned assembly of microlens arrays with micromirrors , 1999, Photonics West - Micro and Nano Fabricated Electromechanical and Optical Components.

[39]  Robert W. Corrigan,et al.  Optical performance of the Grating Light Valve technology , 1999, Electronic Imaging.

[40]  Qingle Tang.  Refractive microlens array integration with linear high-power semiconductor laser array , 1999, Photonics West - Micro and Nano Fabricated Electromechanical and Optical Components.

[41]  M. Mainster.  Blinded by the light--not! , 1999, Archives of ophthalmology.

[42]  Fred M. Dickey,et al.  Laser beam shaping techniques , 2000, SPIE High-Power Laser Ablation.

[43]  Andrew F. Kurtz.  Design of a laser printer using a laser array and beam homogenizer , 2000, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[44]  Lina Li.  Coupling of high-power diode laser arrays and fibers , 2000, Optics and Optoelectronic Inspection and Control.

[45]  Hongjun Li,et al.  Nearly diffraction-limited size flat-top laser beam shaper , 2000, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[46]  Christhard Deter,et al.  High-resolution scanning laser projection display with diode-pumped solid state lasers , 2000, Electronic Imaging.

[47]  Masahiro Yamaguchi,et al.  Expanded color gamut reproduced by six-primary projection display , 2000, Electronic Imaging.

[48]  A Nebel,et al.  Concepts and performance of solid state RGB laser sources for large-frame laser projection displays , 2000, Electronic Imaging.

[49]  David L. Shealy,et al.  Development and testing of a refractive laser beam shaping system , 2000, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[50]  Yao Li,et al.  X-cube: an eight-port beamsplitting device , 2000, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[51]  Revision of guidelines on limits of exposure to laser radiation of wavelengths between 400 nm and 1.4 microm. International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. , 2000, Health physics.

[52]  Beam shaping of high-power diode lasers , 2000, Conference Digest. 2000 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe (Cat. No.00TH8505).

[53]  Chunlei Du,et al.  Microlens array and application systems , 2000, International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies (AOMATT).

[54]  Ulf Krause,et al.  RGB lasers for laser projection displays , 2000, Electronic Imaging.

[55]  Tiechuan Zuo,et al.  Design of fly's eye homogenizer for excimer laser micromachining , 2000, Optics and Optoelectronic Inspection and Control.

[56]  H. Urey,et al.  Diffractive exit-pupil expander for display applications. , 2001, Applied optics.

[57]  Thomas A. Furness,et al.  Vision with a scanning laser display: comparison of flicker sensitivity to a CRT , 2001 .

[58]  Simultaneous generation of red, green, and blue continuous-wave laser radiation in Nd3+-doped aperiodically poled lithium niobate , 2001 .

[59]  John Mellerio,et al.  WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THRESHOLD IN LASER INJURY EXPERIMENTS? IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE LIMITS , 2002, Health physics.

[60]  Gerald F. Marshall.  Stationary ghost images outside the image format of the scanned field image plane , 2002, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[61]  G. D. Wit.  Contrast budget of head-mounted displays , 2002 .

[62]  Zhijiang Wang,et al.  Beam shaping technology for laser diode arrays , 2002, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[63]  Bolesh J. Skutnik,et al.  Fiber coupling of laser diode arrays for high brightness: cladding considerations , 2002, SPIE LASE.

[64]  David L. Shealy,et al.  Historical perspective of laser beam shaping , 2002, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[65]  Jahja I. Trisnadi.  Speckle contrast reduction in laser projection displays , 2002, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[66]  Young-Chul Ko,et al.  Laser TV for home theater , 2002, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[67]  M. Kowarz,et al.  Conformal grating electromechanical system (GEMS) for high-speed digital light modulation , 2002, Technical Digest. MEMS 2002 IEEE International Conference. Fifteenth IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (Cat. No.02CH37266).

[68]  Erik J. Bochove.  Spectral beam combining of fiber lasers: tolerances, lens design, and microlens array inclusion , 2002, SPIE LASE.

[69]  Peter Brick,et al.  8-W high-efficiency continuous-wave semiconductor disk laser at 1000 nm , 2003 .

[70]  V. Michael Bove,et al.  P‐125: Personal Projection, or How to Put a Large Screen in a Small Device , 2003 .

[71]  D. Shealy,et al.  Geometric optics-based design of laser beam shapers , 2003 .

[72]  Chunlei Du,et al.  Analysis and design of fiber-coupled high-power laser diode array , 2003, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[73]  Laser projection displays based on acoustooptic devices , 2003 .

[74]  Tasso R. M. Sales,et al.  Structured microlens arrays for beam shaping , 2003, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[75]  J. Mollon.  1 – The Origins of Modern Color Science , 2003 .

[76]  Shmuel Roth,et al.  10.2: Wide Gamut, High Brightness Multiple Primaries Single Panel Projection Displays , 2003 .

[77]  D. D. Lowenthal,et al.  Spectral beam combining of diode laser bars achieve efficient near diffraction limited output power , 2003, SPIE LASE.

[78]  T. W. Ng.  The optical mouse as a two-dimensional displacement sensor , 2003 .

[79]  John A. Hoffnagle,et al.  An achromatic refractive laser beam reshaper , 2003, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[80]  Arthur D. Broadbent,et al.  A critical review of the development of the CIE1931 RGB color-matching functions , 2004 .

[81]  Jeremiah Brown,et al.  Assessment of alleged retinal laser injuries. , 2004, Archives of ophthalmology.

[82]  Brian T. Schowengerdt,et al.  Stereoscopic retinal scanning laser display with integrated focus cues for ocular accommodation , 2004, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[83]  Jahja I. Trisnadi,et al.  Overview and applications of Grating-Light-Valve-based optical write engines for high-speed digital imaging , 2004, SPIE MOEMS-MEMS.

[84]  A. Tropper,et al.  Vertical-external-cavity semiconductor lasers , 2004 .

[85]  David L. Shealy,et al.  Design of GRIN laser beam shaping system , 2004, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[86]  John C. Brazas,et al.  High-resolution laser-projection display system using a grating electromechanical system (GEMS) , 2004, SPIE MOEMS-MEMS.

[87]  B. Gorbatenko,et al.  Reconstructing an object image using the laser speckle pattern of the diffraction field , 2004 .

[88]  Dan Apostol,et al.  Gaussian to rectangular laser beam shaping using diffractive optical elements , 2005, Advanced Topics in Optoelectronics, Microelectronics, and Nanotechnologies.

[89]  Changtao Wang,et al.  Microlens array for stacked laser diode beam collimation , 2005, SPIE/COS Photonics Asia.

[90]  Jeong-Woo Kim,et al.  Eye-type scanning mirror with dual vertical combs for laser display , 2005, SPIE MOEMS-MEMS.

[91]  Senfar Wen.  Design of relative primary luminances for four-primary displays , 2005, Displays.

[92]  Hongchen Zhai,et al.  Beam correction optics for laser diodes , 2005, International Commission for Optics.

[93]  T. Y. Fan,et al.  Coherent (phased array) and wavelength (spectral) beam combining compared (Invited Paper) , 2005, SPIE LASE.

[94]  S. Bollanti,et al.  Beam homogenization: theory, modeling, and application to an excimer laser beam , 2005, International Symposium on High Power Laser Systems and Applications.

[95]  T. Fan.  Laser beam combining for high-power, high-radiance sources , 2005, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[96]  Hakan Urey,et al.  Microlens-array-based exit-pupil expander for full-color displays. , 2005, Applied optics.

[97]  Chris Slinger,et al.  Computer-generated holography as a generic display technology , 2005, Computer.

[98]  Changhe Zhou,et al.  Femtosecond laser speckles. , 2005, Applied optics.

[99]  William S. C. Chang,et al.  Principles of Lasers and Optics , 2005 .

[100]  Yong Bi,et al.  Large laser projection displays utilizing all-solid-state RGB lasers , 2005, SPIE/COS Photonics Asia.

[101]  A. Yalçinkaya,et al.  Two-axis electromagnetic microscanner for high resolution displays , 2006, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.

[102]  Brian O. Faircloth,et al.  Development of high power high brightness fiber coupled diode laser systems , 2006, SPIE LASE.

[103]  Chan-Young Park,et al.  Removal of hot spot speckle on rear projection screen using the rotating screen system , 2006 .

[104]  Andrew J. Waddie,et al.  Comparative performance analysis of 100% fill-factor microlens arrays fabricated by various methods , 2006, SPIE Photonics Europe.

[105]  J. Rolland,et al.  Head-worn displays: a review , 2006, Journal of Display Technology.

[106]  O. Solgaard,et al.  Tunable blazed gratings , 2006, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.

[107]  Seong-Jin Lim,et al.  End-pumped green and blue vertical external cavity surface emitting laser devices , 2006 .

[108]  Shih-Yu Tu,et al.  Monolithic red-green-blue laser light source based on cascaded wavelength conversion in periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate , 2006 .

[109]  Clarence E. Rash,et al.  Evaluation of microvision SD2500 scanning laser display , 2006, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[111]  Reinhard Voelkel,et al.  Microlens laser beam homogenizer: from theory to application , 2007, SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics.

[112]  Andreas Bräuer,et al.  Improved homogenization of fly's eye condenser setups under coherent illumination using chirped microlens arrays , 2007, SPIE MOEMS-MEMS.

[113]  Hitoshi Tamada.  Invited Paper: Blazed GxLP™ light modulators for laser projectors , 2007 .

[114]  J. Briers,et al.  Laser speckle contrast imaging for measuring blood flow , 2007 .

[115]  Sang Kyeong Yun.  Spatial optical modulator (SOM): Samsung's light modulator for next‐generation laser displays , 2007 .

[117]  Ismo Rakkolainen,et al.  A Survey of 3DTV Displays: Techniques and Technologies , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology.

[118]  Anatoliy Lapchuk,et al.  Spatial optical modulator (SOM): high-density diffractive laser projection display , 2007, SPIE OPTO.

[119]  Steven Cornelissen,et al.  Advances in MEMS deformable mirror technology for laser beam shaping , 2007, SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics.

[120]  Desen Liu,et al.  The main factors that affect coupling efficiency of high-power semiconductor laser array and selfoc lens array , 2007, SPIE/COS Photonics Asia.

[121]  Mang Ou-Yang,et al.  Design Considerations Between Color Gamut and Brightness for Multi-Primary Color Displays , 2007, Journal of Display Technology.

[122]  Hanif D. Sherali,et al.  The eigenvalue complementarity problem , 2007, Comput. Optim. Appl..

[123]  Hugo Thienpont,et al.  Using a fly’s eye integrator in efficient illumination engines with multiple light-emitting diode light sources , 2007 .

[124]  Daisuke Imanishi,et al.  Effective speckle reduction in laser projection displays , 2008, SPIE OPTO.

[125]  Justin D. Mansell,et al.  Laser beam shaping with membrane deformable mirrors , 2008, Optical Engineering + Applications.

[126]  K. Keller,et al.  Head Mounted Displays for Medical Use , 2008, Journal of Display Technology.

[127]  Satoshi Nakano,et al.  63.2: Distinguished Paper: Efficient and Compact Green Laser Incorporating Adaptive Optics for Wide Operating Temperature Range , 2008 .

[128]  J. Meyn.  Colour mixing based on daylight , 2008 .

[129]  Y. Wang,et al.  Laser Digital Cinema Projector , 2008, Journal of Display Technology.

[130]  S. Illek,et al.  Green laser modules to fit laser projection out of your pocket , 2008, SPIE LASE.

[131]  K. Iga,et al.  Semiconductor Lasers in Photonics , 2008, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[132]  John T. Wen,et al.  Super-Gaussian laser beam shaping using deformable mirrors and intrinsic beam quality metrics , 2008, International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technologies.

[133]  Huang Shanglian,et al.  Two-dimensional grating light modulator for projection display. , 2008, Applied optics.

[134]  John D. Lambkin,et al.  Red vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) for consumer applications , 2008, SPIE OPTO.

[135]  K. Frommhagen,et al.  Recent advancements in system design for miniaturized MEMS-based laser projectors , 2008, SPIE OPTO.

[136]  Jacques Gollier,et al.  P‐233: Multimode DBR Laser Operation for Frequency Doubled Green Lasers in Projection Displays , 2008 .

[137]  Edward Buckley,et al.  70.2: Invited Paper: Holographic Laser Projection Technology , 2008 .

[138]  Paolo Milanesi,et al.  A high-brightness QCW pump source using a pre-aligned GRIN lens array with refractive beam correction , 2008, SPIE LASE.

[139]  S. Benton,et al.  Holographic Imaging , 2008 .

[140]  Jun-Sik Hwang,et al.  Slow scanning electromagnetic scanner for laser display , 2008 .

[141]  Jens Meinschien,et al.  Beam shaping of line generators based on high power diode lasers to achieve high intensity and uniformity levels , 2008, Optical Engineering + Applications.

[142]  Xingsheng Liu,et al.  Study of the mechanism of “smile” in high power diode laser arrays and strategies in improving near-field linearity , 2009, 2009 59th Electronic Components and Technology Conference.

[143]  H. Urey,et al.  Laser scanning based autostereoscopic 3D display with pupil tracking , 2009, 2009 IEEE LEOS Annual Meeting Conference Proceedings.

[144]  Falko Riechert,et al.  Method to determine the speckle characteristics of front projection screens. , 2009, Applied optics.

[145]  Syuhei Yamamoto,et al.  High Performance Micro Green Laser for Laser TV , 2009 .

[146]  Xuyuan Chen,et al.  Laser speckle reduction using a dynamic polymer-based diffraction grating spatial phase modulator , 2009, Applied Optics and Photonics China.

[147]  S. Calvez,et al.  Semiconductor Disk Lasers: Recent Developments in Bulk and Micro-Lasers , 2009 .

[149]  David H. Sliney,et al.  Comparative evaluation of ocular hazards from projectors—laser and lamp projectors , 2009 .

[150]  Stefan Heinemann,et al.  High-brightness fiber-coupled single emitter arrays , 2009, LASE.

[151]  Nagesh R. Basavanhally,et al.  The Alcatel-Lucent microprojector: What every cell phone needs , 2009 .

[152]  Selviah,et al.  Laser Scanning 3D Display with Dynamic Exit Pupil , 2009 .

[153]  Falko Riechert,et al.  Laser speckle reduction via colloidal-dispersion-filled projection screens. , 2009, Applied optics.

[154]  Hugo Thienpont,et al.  Low-speckle laser projection with a broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser in the nonmodal emission regime. , 2009, Applied optics.

[155]  Gang Chen,et al.  The Alcatel-Lucent microprojector: What every cell phone needs , 2009, Bell Labs Technical Journal.

[156]  Martin D. Dawson,et al.  Semiconductor disk lasers for the generation of visible and ultraviolet radiation , 2009 .

[157]  Robert Isele,et al.  14.4: Novel Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Design Enabled by Holographic Laser Projection , 2009 .

[158]  Multiwatt high-efficiency CW single-mode visible lasers for ultrahigh-resolution displays , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[159]  Itay Peled,et al.  MEMS based speckle reduction obtain by angle diversity for fast imaging , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[160]  Koen Malfait,et al.  Future prospects of high-end laser projectors , 2009, OPTO.

[161]  Victor Yurlov,et al.  A study of image contrast restriction in displays using diffractive spatial light modulators , 2010, Displays.

[162]  Walter J. Riker.  A Review of J , 2010 .