Abstract: An optical intensity modulator which uses a Sagnac interferometer having an electro-optic phase modulator therein. An electric modulation signal is delivered to the modulator, and the latter is selected so that the phase velocity of optical and electrical signals are comparable in it. This causes the optical signal from one interferometer arm to copropagate through the modulator with the electrical signal, increasing interaction time with it, and causes the optical signal from the other arm to counterpropagate with the electric signal, reducing interaction time. In addition to phase modulating the optical signals by the electrical signal, the electro-optic effect in the modulator phase shifts the optical signals with respect to one another, permitting them to form a non-zero interference pattern, whose intensity corresponds to the electrical signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for minimizing vibration of images in video cameras due to vibration of the operator's hands includes a motion detector, an electric field generator which receives information from the motion detector and generate voltages related to the horizontal and vertical motions, and a hand vibration corrector which uses the voltages from the electric field generator to control the refractive index of a medium through which the incoming video images are passing, to thereby adjust the position of the incoming images. A CCD converts the optical signals of the hand vibration correcting means into electrical signals. The refractive index of the crystal having the electro-optical effect is controlled by electrical signals and the optical source of the input images is optically corrected. Consequently, a high speed response and high precision controlled resolution are provided. Further, the apparatus has a simple structure, and therefore, it can greatly contribute to the camera image stabilization.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection optical system is provided, which can use a beam splitting optical system smaller in size than a conventional polarizing beam splitter, can set a long optical path from a concave reflecting mirror to an image plane, allows easy adjustment of the optical system, and has excellent imaging performance. A light beam from an object surface forms a first intermediate image through a refracting lens group. A light beam from the first intermediate image passes through a polarizing beam splitter and is reflected by a concave reflecting mirror to form a second intermediate image in the polarizing beam splitter. A light beam from the second intermediate image is reflected by the polarizing beam splitter means to form a final image on the image plane via a refracting lens group. The polarizing beam splitter means is arranged near the positions at which the intermediate images are formed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modulating a light beam in an optical processing system is described. Preferably, an electrically-controlled polarizer unit and/or an analyzer unit are utilized in combination with a spatial light modulator and a controller. Preferably, the spatial light modulator comprises a pixelated birefringent medium such as a liquid crystal video display. The combination of the electrically controlled polarizer unit and analyzer unit make it simple and fast to reconfigure the modulation described by the Jones matrix of the spatial light modulator. A particular optical processing objective is provided to the controller. The controller performs calculations and supplies control signals to the polarizer unit, the analyzer unit, and the spatial light modulator in order to obtain the optical processing objective.

Abstract: Optical beam-splitting system for partitioning the real image of an object into a plurality of partial images onto image receivers arranged with a distance between them, comprising an objective lens and a plurality of optical elements arranged in the ray path behind the objective lens with each optical element comprising at least one reflecting plane deflecting the path of rays, the optical elements respectively intercepting partial luminous fluxes not interfering with each other, the optical elements being positioned outside of the overlapping region of the rays emanating from the extremities of the object and passing through the objective lens and in front of the image plane of the objective lens.

Abstract: An optical element includes a light-transmittable substrate and a light-transmittable dry-light-curing-film layered on the substrate and having an undulant pattern on a surface thereof, characterized by the dry-light-curing-film has a specific range viscosity at room temperature in the unhardened state, a specific range thickness in the unhardened state, the specific range creep and creep recovery characteristics.

Abstract: A projection lithography camera is presented with a wide ringfield optimized so as to make efficient use of extreme ultraviolet radiation from a large area radiation source (e.g., D.sub.source .apprxeq.0.5 mm). The camera comprises four aspheric mirrors optically arranged on a common axis of symmetry with an increased etendue for the camera system. The camera includes an aperture stop that is accessible through a plurality of partial aperture stops to synthesize the theoretical aperture stop. Radiation from a mask is focused to form a reduced image on a wafer, relative to the mask, by reflection from the four aspheric mirrors.

Abstract: This invention provides a catadioptric optical system for achieving excellent imaging performance to obtain a resolution of quartermicron order. The catadioptric optical system is an optical system for transferring a reduced image of a pattern on a first plane onto a second plane and includes a beam splitter, an input lens group for guiding a light beam having a predetermined wavelength from the first plane to the beam splitter, an output lens group for guiding the light beam from the beam splitter to the second plane, a first concave mirror having an enlargement magnification, and a second concave mirror having a reduction magnification. The first concave mirror is arranged in an optical path of the light beam incident from the input lens group on the beam splitter and passing through the beam splitter to cause the passing light beam to be incident on the beam splitter again.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and controlling the propagation of electrons in a semiconductor material using a plurality of beams of coherent light is disclosed. The direction and magnitude of propagation of the electrons in the semiconductor are controlled by varying the polarization of the coherent beams with respect to the semiconductor material, and in particular the crystallographic axis of the semiconductor material. The electrons are generated and controlled by use of three coherent beams which are related such that the frequency of one of the beams is substantially equal to the sum of the frequencies of the other beams, and the first beam produces substantially the same number of electrons in the semiconductor material that the other beams produce together. A selected region of the semiconductor material is simultaneously irradiated with all of the beams of light. The semiconductor material is at approximately room temperature.

Abstract: An electro-optical device such as an optical deflector comprising a ferro-electric substrate, electrodes provided on principal surfaces of this substrate and an inverted domain having a polygonal, e.g. triangular shape formed in the substrate, at least one of the domain walls of these domains being effectively perpendicular to the principal surfaces of the substrate, and a light beam passing through at least two of the domain walls, thus permitting fast random access, wide deflection angle and high resolution.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is provided with a main operation member arranged to permit both a rectilinear operation and a rotational operation, a subordinate operation member arranged to be operated to vary an operating force required for operating the main operation member to a greater extent for the rectilinear operation than for the rotational operation, a first optical adjustment mechanism arranged to perform a first optical adjusting action in association with the rectilinear operation of the main operation member, and a second optical adjustment mechanism arranged to perform a second optical adjusting action in association with the rotational operation of the main operation member.

Abstract: A reversible electrodeposition electrochromic infrared modulator for modulating infrared energy is provided. The modulator includes a working electrode having an infrared transparent substrate with first and second major surfaces. A conductive layer is disposed on the second major surface of the substrate. A counter electrode is spaced from the working electrode and a sealing assembly hermetically seals the working and counter electrodes with a cavity defined therebetween. An electrolyte material containing an electrochromic material is disposed within the cavity. A reversible power source is coupled to the working and the counter electrodes for providing a reversible voltage potential between the working and the counter electrodes. A thin film of the electrochromic material plates the conductive layer of the working electrode in response to an on state voltage potential between the working and the counter electrodes.

Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus (1) which includes a beam splitter (2) for splitting an image into sub-images and several image sensors (3, 4) for picking up the sub-images is provided with a depolarizing element (6) for reducing the linear polarization degree of the light incident on the beam splitter. The electronic image signals of the image sensors (3, 4) are combined so as to form an electronic image signal of a composite image in a combination unit (5). Because the linear polarization degree of the light incident on a mirror surface (27) of the beam splitter (2) is low, the differences between brightnesses of sub-images picked up by individual image sensors are small. Disturbances are thus counteracted in the composite image.The image pick-up apparatus is preferably used in an X-ray examination apparatus (10) in order to reproduce an X-ray image having a high spatial resolution and few disturbances.

Abstract: An attachment lens system (10) to adjust magnification has a housing (20) with an optical system (22). The housing (20) has a mechanism (36) to secure it to a stereo visual system (12) and to position the housing (20) in front of the stereo visual optical system. The optical system (22) is an afocal system including at least two lenses (90, 92) which are adjustable to adjust focal length of the entire system. Also the housing (20) includes a mechanism (24) to lock the lenses (90, 92) in position once they have been adjusted.

Abstract: Described is an improved optical engine including dichroic mirror elements that have opposing substantially parallel planar surfaces, with the mirror elements positioned and oriented selectively and simultaneously to split a first light beam incident upon one of the opposing surfaces and to recombine modulated second and third beams incident upon the other of the opposing surfaces, wherein a beam of light emerging from the one of the opposing surfaces contains both modulated and unmodulated color components. Preferably, the invented optical engine takes the form of concentric squares, when viewed normal to a plane in which its optical elements lie, wherein the interior square contains plural dichroic elements and the exterior square contains plural turning mirror elements. The optical engine may be used along with conventional other optical elements including, for example, white light sources, turning mirrors, liquid crystal shutters and optical output stacks, to render a pixel-modulated tricolor projector.

Abstract: In order to provide a zoom lens barrel in which the direction of rotation of a zoom ring or a focus ring during the operation thereof can be independently determined even if use is made of a cam cylinder in which the mutual relation between the movement locus of a lens for focusing and the movement locus of a lens for focal length change cannot be destroyed, provision is made of a fixed cylinder, a zoom ring operated during a focal length change, a focus ring operated during focusing, a cam mechanism for moving each of lens units in the direction of the optical axis thereof by the rotational force of the zoom ring without rotating them about the optical axis, and moving the lens units in the direction of the optical axis while rotating them about the optical axis by the rotational force of the zoom ring, an interlocking ring rotatably fitted to the fixed cylinder, and a rotatable gear for transmitting the rotational force of the focus ring while reversing the direction thereof, and the interlocking ring guide

Abstract: This invention relates to a head-mounted stereoscopic image display apparatus to be mounted on the head portion of an observer, including display means for displaying a stripe image formed by dividing right and left parallax images that constitute a stereoscopic image into stripe pixels, and alternately arranging the right and left stripe pixels in a predetermined order, an image separation optical system disposed in front of the display means and adapted to separate light beams outgoing from the right and left stripe pixels, and a concave mirror adapted to reflect the light beams from the image separation optical system so as to allow the observer to observe virtual images of the parallax images.

Abstract: A laminate electrochromic display is disclosed in which a layer containing electrode leads addresses a laminate layer of side-by-side working and counter electrodes. A laminate layer of an electrochromic material is disposed on the electrode layer and, optionally, an ionically conductive electrolyte material is included in the electrochromic layer or provided in a separate electrolyte layer disposed over the electrochromic layer. In addition, a sandwich-type electrochromic device is disclosed in which the electrodes serve as either working or counter electrodes and a transparent electrode, disposed over the electrochromic layer serves as the other electrode. The electrochromic layer can optionally contain an ionically conductive electrolyte or, alternatively, a separate layer containing the electrolyte can be disposed between the electrochromic layer and counter electrode layer.

Abstract: To obtain a predetermined power intensity without influencing the wavelength of output light by external APC, a laser beam having a predetermined plane of polarization and output from a tunable wavelength light source passes through a Faraday element and a polarizer constituting an optical attenuator and is split into a split light beam and an output light beam by a beam splitter. The split light beam is received by a light-receiving device, and a detection signal according to the power intensity is output from the light-receiving device. A controller supplies a signal according to the difference between the detection signal output from the light-receiving device and a set value set at an intensity setting device to a coil of the Faraday element constituting the optical attenuator.

Abstract: A display device to be worn by the user on his or her head comprising a pair of left and right image display members which are arranged on a frame to be put on a head of a user in a manner enabling them to be moved in a direction toward or away from each other; a pair of left and right lens members on the frame which show virtual images of the images displayed by the image display members to the user, the light axes of which being made substantially parallel to each other at a position on a light path extending from the left image display member to the left eye of the user and at a position on a light path extending from the right image display member to the right eye of the user, in a manner enabling them to be moved in a direction toward or away from each other; and a link mechanism member for variably adjusting the distance in the horizontal direction between the lens members so to adjust the distance in the horizontal direction between the image display members linked with the adjustment of the distance b