PROVIDING UNIFORM BACKGROUND IMAGE ILLUMINATION WITH ZERO-ORDER LIGHT FROM A PHASE LIGHT MODULATOR TO A SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR

An apparatus includes a phase light modulator (PLM) configured to produce background image illumination including background image light and zero-order light, a first lens array including first lenses optically coupled to the PLM and configured to project the background image light, a second lens array optically coupled to the first lens array and including second lenses configured to project the background image light, an optical tunnel extending between the first lens array and the second lens array, optically coupled to the PLM and configured to project a zero-order light, an embedded lens in the second lens array optically coupled to the optical tunnel and configured to focus the zero-order light from the optical tunnel, and focusing optics optically coupled to the second lens array and the embedded lens and configured to focus the background image light and the zero-order light onto a background image plane of a spatial light modulator.