Abstract: A system and method for reducing or eliminating speckle when using a coherent light source is provided. A light modulator reflects light emitted by the coherent light source towards a display screen. The light modulator is controlled by selectively applying a bias voltage having a DC component and an AC component to individual pixel elements. The AC component causes physical movement of one or more components of the individual pixel elements by, for example, causing one or more of the components to vibrate or resonate.

Abstract: It is often desirable to transform near-infrared lasers to lasers of visible light. Disclosed embodiments describe devices and techniques for efficiently doubling the frequency of a laser beam using volume holographic elements. A volume holographic element is placed between a pump laser and an SHG cavity. If the pump laser is unpolarized, such as the light of a VECSEL for example, then the volume holographic element may be operable to polarize the light to allow for efficient frequency doubling within the SHG cavity. The volume holographic element may also be operable to reflect back-propagating frequency-doubled photons, allowing for multiple conversion passes that generate and direct frequency-doubled photons out of the device, typically in a single beam. In such a case, the volume holographic element may also comprise a holographic skewing pattern.

Abstract: Described is an optical device for combining multiple light sources in an optical projection system. One embodiment of the optical device includes at least two light sources having first and second wavelengths, and an optical element for substantially diffracting the first and second wavelengths of the two light sources and combining them into a single beam of light.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a digital micro-mirror device having improved contrast and a method for the same are provided. The digital micro-mirror device includes a plurality of current-carrying conductors on an upper surface of a substrate, each current-carrying conductor having an upper surface; a low-reflectivity metal disposed upon the upper surfaces of the current-carrying conductors; first and second micro-mirrors forming an aperture above the substrate; and wherein the low-reflectivity metal disposed upon on the upper surfaces of the current-carrying conductors reduces reflection of light received through the aperture by the current-carrying conductors.

Abstract: A method for assuring a blazed condition in a DMD device used in telecommunications applications. By meeting certain conditions in the fabrication and operation of the DMD, the device can achieve a blazed condition and be very effective in switching near monochromatic spatially coherent light, thereby opening up a whole new application field for such devices. This method determines the optimal pixel pitch and mirror tilt angle for a given incident angle and wavelength of near monochromatic spatially coherent light to assure blazed operating conditions. The Fraunhofer envelope is determined by convolving the Fourier transforms of the mirror aperture and the delta function at the center of each mirror and then aligning the center of this envelope with a diffraction order to provide a blazed condition.

Abstract: An embodiment of the instant invention is a scanning-probe microscope for measuring the topography of a surface of a sample, the scanning-probe microscope comprising: an XYZ piezo drive (piezo drive 1); a quartz tuning-fork oscillator (fork 2) having a first electrode (electrode 3 or 4) and a second electrode (electrode 3 or 4), wherein the quartz tuning-fork oscillator is attached to the XYZ piezo drive, and wherein the quartz tuning-fork oscillator is oriented such that the tines of the quartz tuning-fork oscillator each lie in the XY plane and their fundamental mode of oscillation vibrates the ends of the tines in the Z direction; a probe tip (probe tip 6) affixed to one of the tines, the probe tip comes to a point in the Z direction and directed away from the XYZ piezo drive; a signal source (source 7) to provide a drive signal to drive the first electrode at a mechanical resonant frequency of the quartz tuning-fork oscillator; a current-to-voltage amplifier (preamp 8) to monitor the electrical current fl