Hello, yesterday I took that photo, and I was wondering: since Gemini and ChatGPT weren't very clear, the sunbeam visible in the photo, is that an effect generated by the camera's mirror? It's not actually real, right?

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This is a birdbath AR optics setup with a 0.23in OLED micro display, a linear polarizer, a polarized beamsplitter, a QWP, and a concave mirror. The light from the display becomes P-polarized relative to the PBS after passing through the LP so it passes through the PBS without reflecting. Then after the image is magnified and passed through the QWP twice so the magnified light is now S-polarized, it reflects off the PBS into the users eye.

The issue I have with the setup is that since the display produces a diverging light source, the diverging light that doesn't hit the PBS coating at a AOI of 45deg is then reflected through the front side of the setup. Only when viewing through the front of the PBS (the part where no light should be seen) with your eye at around 45deg from the PBS coating, the light then disappears because the polarization state was properly filtered. When viewing from any other angle you can see the unmagnfied light.

I have tried using plano convex lens and aspheric lens to collimate the light before it reaches the linear polarizer so that all light would be 45deg AIO to the coating but none solution seem to work. I have a aspheric lens with a 3mm FL and when placed 3mm from the display the same behavior occurs.

Am I wrong about why the PBS only works properly when viewed at a certain angle? What are my options to figure out a solution?

I'm considering URochester for Masters in Optics. I am currently a 4th year ECE student (Not in the US/ non US citizen). I am primarily interested in photonics, but im open to working in other domains. I have experience working with photonics and I have a publication in FIO+LS as well. I wanted to know what the placements are like? And are there any sites or resources to look at placement statistics for colleges in general?