Display system analysis with critical polarization elements in a non-sequential ray tracing environment

Common digital display systems have evolved into sophisticated optical devices. The rapid market growth in liquid-crystal displays makes the simulation of full systems attractive, promoting virtual prototyping with decreased development times and improved manufacturability. Realistic simulation using commercial non-sequential ray tracing tools has been instrumental in this process, but the need to accurately model polarization devices has become critical in many designs. As display systems seek more efficient use of light and more accurate color representation, the proper simulation of polarization devices with large acceptance angles is essential. This paper examines non-uniform polarization effects in the simulation of modem display devices using realistic polarizer and retarder models in the ASAP (R) non-sequential ray-tracing environment.