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Systems and methods for coupling light into a transparent sheet. The systems include a light source and a light-diffusing optical fiber optically coupled to the light source. The light-diffusing optical fiber has a core, a cladding and a length, with at least a portion of the core comprising randoml

Systems and methods for coupling light into a transparent sheet. The systems include a light source and a light-diffusing optical fiber optically coupled to the light source. The light-diffusing optical fiber has a core, a cladding and a length, with at least a portion of the core comprising randomly arranged voids configured to provide substantially continuous light emission from the core and out of the cladding along at least a portion of the length, and into the transparent sheet.

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1. A system for coupling light into a transparent sheet having an edge and a surface, comprising: a light source that generates light; anda light-diffusing optical fiber optically coupled to the light source and disposed adjacent the transparent sheet, the light-diffusing optical fiber having a sili

1. A system for coupling light into a transparent sheet having an edge and a surface, comprising: a light source that generates light; anda light-diffusing optical fiber optically coupled to the light source and disposed adjacent the transparent sheet, the light-diffusing optical fiber having a silica based glass core with core diameter <300 μm, a cladding and a length, the silica based glass core having randomly arranged voids configured to provide substantially continuous light emission from the core and out of the cladding and into the transparent sheet,a refractive index-matching material disposed between the light-diffusing optical fiber and the transparent sheet such that the light enters the transparent sheet through at least a portion of the index-matching material, wherein the index matching material includes at least one of:a) a spatial variation in refractive index;b) discrete portions disposed at discrete locations along the light-diffusing optical fiber; andc) a variation in thickness as a function of length along the light-diffusing optical fiber. 2. An optical display, comprising: system of claim 1; anda light-modulating display assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface;a reflecting member arranged adjacent the bottom surface; andthe transparent sheet arranged adjacent the top surface so that the light coupled into the transparent sheet being configured to direct the scattered light to the light-modulating display assembly. 3. A system for coupling light into a transparent sheet having an edge and a surface, comprising: a light source that generates light;at least one light-diffusing optical fiber optically coupled to the light source, the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having a core, a cladding and a length, with at least a portion of the core comprising randomly arranged voids configured to provide substantially continuous light emission from the core and out of the cladding along at least a portion of the length; andthe transparent sheet, with the portion of the at least one optical fiber arranged adjacent at least one of the edge and the surface so that light from the optical fiber portion enters the transparent sheet, further comprising an index-matching material disposed along at least a portion of the length of the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber and between the light-diffusing optical fiber and the transparent sheet, with the index-matching material having a refractive index n200, the transparent sheet having a refractive index n20 and the optical fiber core having a refractive index n60, and wherein (0.99)n60