Methods, apparatus, and systems for the design and use of image guides with a retro-reflector and beam splitter are disclosed. In one example, an apparatus includes: a first image guide situated to propagate a ray bundle so that a first portion exits the image guide output at a first portion angle and a second portion exits the output at a second portion angle opposite the first portion angle, a retro-reflector situated to reflect the respective ray bundle portions along their respective propagation paths incident onto the retro-reflector; a beam splitter situated to receive the reflected ray bundle portions from the retro-reflector, and a second image guide situated to receive the first and second ray bundle portions reflected from the beam splitter plane. In some examples, the retro-reflector is a micro retro-reflector array. In some examples, the retro-reflector is a pseudo-phase conjugate or phase conjugate mirror.