Phase-polarization parallax barriers for an autostereo/stereo/monoscopic display with full-screen resolution at each...

It is attractive to have a three-mode flat-panel 3D display capable of working in autostereoscopic, stereoscopic-with-passive-glasses, and monoscopic modes and providing full-screen resolution of images at each mode. The concept of autostereoscopic displays simultaneously reproducing two image elements in each display pixel based on information-dependent polarization coding and subsequent decoding was recently proposed. Such a concept allows full-screen resolution in each image view and flickerless 3D images to be observed even at a 60-Hz frame rate. The essential problem of such display implementation is to create the suitable structure of the phase-polarization parallax barrier (PPPB) capable of working properly at a variable polarization state of input light. This paper presents the results of theoretical research of an electrically switchable liquid crystal (LC) PPPB. The Jones matrix notation of the required performance function of the LC PPPB is found. The results of computer modeling of achromatic characteristics of suitable LC structures are discussed to determine the optimum structures for PPPB. The proposed layout of three-mode 3D display with LC PPPB allows it to go from autostereoscopic mode to "stereoscopic-with-passive-glasses" mode and backward by electrical switching the LC PPPB in combination with removing/inserting the output polaroid film.