Abstract: A plurality of multi-cavity laser diode chips, each having a plurality of light emitting points, are fixed side by side and form a laser diode array.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical modeling method capable of inhibiting distortion in an object to be modeled and modeling with higher precision. A square exposure region is divided into a plurality of pixels which are further divided into first and second pixel sub-groups, the first pixel sub-group is exposed such that neighboring pixels or more are not exposed at one time, and then unexposed pixels incorporated in the second pixel sub-group are exposed two neighboring pixels or more are not exposed at one time. A photo-curable resin is exposed twice, and then cured in an amount of one photo-curable resin layer. Accordingly, the neighboring pixels are not exposed at one time, the producing of curing shrinkage is limited within one pixel, and distortion due to the curing shrinkage does not spread to the pixels neighboring the one pixel, whereby distortion in the object to be modeled can be inhibited significantly, and modeling with higher precision is made possible.

Abstract: A washing machine includes an electric motor developing torque used for wash, rinse and dehydration operations, a current detector detecting current flowing into the motor, and a torque controller performing a vector control for the motor on the basis of the current detected by the current detector so that the torque developed by the motor is optimum for at least each of the wash and dehydration operations.

Abstract: An inexpensive and highly productive exposure device for directly scanning and exposing a photosensitive material sensitive to at least a UV region, based on digital data. As a motor controller moves an exposure head at a fixed speed in Y direction, image data is read one line of image data, each GLV element of a light modulator array is switched on/off by the read image data, and laser light from a high power light source of the exposure head is switched on/off. A UV-sensitive object to be exposed is exposed in X direction in a number of pixel units that substantially corresponds to the number of the GLV elements. The image data is scanned and exposed by one line in Y direction (main-scan). The motor controller moves a flat stage by one step in X direction (sub-scan). The object to be exposed is imagewise-exposed by repeating such scans.

Abstract: In a laser-diode-pumped laser apparatus, a solid-state laser crystal doped with at least one rare-earth element including at least Pr3+ is pumped with a laser diode, and emits laser light. In the first aspect, the laser diode has an active layer made of one of an InGaN, InGaNAs, and GaNAs materials, and an optical wavelength conversion element converts the solid-state laser light into ultraviolet laser light by wavelength conversion. In the second aspect, the solid-state laser crystal is codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+. In the third aspect, instead of the solid-state laser crystal, an optical fiber codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+ is pumped with a GaN-based compound laser diode.

Abstract: A solid-state laser crystal constituting a laser-diode-excited solid-state laser apparatus or an optical fiber constituting a fiber laser apparatus or fiber laser amplifier is doped with one of Ho3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Dy3+, Er3+, and Tb3+ so that a laser beam is emitted from the solid-state laser crystal or the optical fiber, or incident light of the fiber laser amplifier is amplified, by one of the transitions from 5S2 to 5I7, from 5S2 to 5I8, from 4G5/2 to 6H5/2, from 4G5/2 to 6H7/2, from 4F3/2 to 6H11/2, from 5D0 to 7F2, from 4F9/2 to 6H13/2, from 4F9/2 to 6H11/2, from 4S3/2 to 4I15/2, from 2H9/2 to 4I13/2, and from 5D4 to 7F5. The above solid-state laser crystal or optical fiber is excited with a GaN-based compound laser diode.

Abstract: When a first position of an exposure unit is determined by an XY positioning mechanism, a micromirror of a digital micromirror device is on/off controlled in accordance with image data within a region of a predetermined area including the first position, a light beam emitted from a light source enters the digital micromirror device, through an optical fiber and a homogenizer optical system, and modulated per each data in accordance with image data. A light beam transmitted to a reflective mirror is condensed by a condensing lens, then reflected from the reflected mirror onto a surface of a photo-curable resin, a portion within a region of a predetermined area of the photo-curable resin surface is exposed by the light beam, and the exposed portion is cured. In the same manner, the entire resin surface is exposed by repeating movement and/or exposure of the exposure unit.

Abstract: An optical recording method in which an effective recording sensitivity in the recording of image information on a photosensitive material is raised, whereby a productivity is enhanced owing to lowered energy (laser power) required for the recording or a heightened recording speed. An image is recorded by projecting a light beam onto the photosensitive material formed on a base material backing. The optical recording method includes the steps of: (a) successively outputting pulse light whose duty factor is at most 50%, from a light source; (b) modulating the pulse light output from the light source, in accordance with an image signal, and then projecting the modulated pulse light onto the photosensitive material; and (c) recording the image by causing the pulse light to scan the photosensitive material.

Abstract: A color laser display apparatus which contains a laser light source which emits ultraviolet laser light, a modulation unit which modulates the ultraviolet laser light, a display unit which includes a fluorescent screen, and a scanning unit which two-dimensionally scans the fluorescent screen with the ultraviolet laser light. The fluorescent screen includes, for each pixel, red fluorescent material which emits red light in response to the ultraviolet laser light, green fluorescent material which emits green light in response to the ultraviolet laser light, and blue fluorescent material which emits blue light in response to the ultraviolet laser light. The laser light source may be, for example, a semiconductor laser or a fiber laser.

Abstract: A fluorescence observing apparatus including a light source for emitting excitation light, an excitation light irradiation section for irradiating the excitation light to a sample, and a fluorescence measurement section for measuring fluorescence emitted from the sample by the irradiation of the excitation light. The temperature of the light source is always sensed by a thermistor, and a Peltier element disposed in direct contact with the light source is cooled by a control section so that the temperature of the light source is maintained at 20° C. or less.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multiplex laser light source equipped with a plurality of semiconductor lasers, a single multi-mode optical fiber, and a light-collecting optics system for collecting laser beams emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers and then coupling the collected laser beams to the multi-mode optical fiber.

Abstract: A solid laser produces a laser beam of a 1 &mgr;m wavelength band with an Nd-doped solid laser medium. An oscillation mode is brought to a single longitudinal mode with a Fabry-Pérot etalon located within a resonator. An etalon thickness, an etalon reflectivity, an etalon inclination, and a resonator longitudinal mode interval satisfy the relationships, 1.2%≦RN≦15% and 0.5°≦&thgr;≦2.0°, in which RN represents an effective reflectivity of the etalon with respect to wavelengths &lgr;=&lgr;0±&Dgr;&lgr;c deviating by a resonator longitudinal mode interval &Dgr;&lgr;c from a resonance wavelength &lgr;0 of the etalon, and &thgr; represents an inclination of an etalon optical axis with respect to a resonator optical axis.

Abstract: A semiconductor-laser-pumped solid state laser includes a solid state laser medium doped with a rare earth element such as neodymium and a semiconductor laser which emits a pumping laser beam for pumping the solid state laser medium. A pumping light incident side end face of the solid state laser medium is fixed to a holder.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser pumped solid state laser includes a solid laser medium, a semiconductor laser which radiates a pumping laser beam for pumping the solid laser medium, and a light entrance optical system which converges the pumping laser beam in the solid laser medium. The semiconductor laser is disposed with its beam radiating axis inclined to the optical axis of the light entrance optical system so that the pumping laser beam travelling from the semiconductor laser to the solid laser medium and a laser beam reflected at the pumping light inlet side end face of the solid laser medium travel different optical paths. A light-shielding plate which intercepts the laser beam reflected at the pumping light inlet side end face of the solid laser medium is provided between the semiconductor laser and the solid laser medium.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a color laser display that comprises a red laser light source for emitting red laser light, a green laser light source for emitting green laser light, and a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light. An excitation solid laser unit (which has a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr3+ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the solid-state laser crystal), a fiber laser unit (which has a fiber with a Pr3+-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the fiber), or a semiconductor laser unit (which has a semiconductor laser element, employing a GaN semiconductor, and a surface-emitting semiconductor element), is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a laser diode chip, a heat radiating plate on which the laser diode chip is mounted and a Peltier element which is integrated with the heat radiating plate. The heat radiating plate is formed of metal whose thermal conductivity is not lower than 230 W/mK.

Abstract: A solid laser crystal added with Pr.sup.3+ is pumped by a InGaN laser diode to generated a laser beam. A fiber having a core added with Pr.sup.3+ is pumped by a GaN laser diode to generated a laser beam. A fiber having a core added with Pr.sub.3+ is pumped by a GaN laser diode to generate fluorescence and incident light in the wavelength range of the fluorescence is amplified by energy of the fluorescence.

Abstract: In a laser-diode-pumped solid state laser, a solid laser crystal is pumped by a pumping laser beam emitted from a laser diode and a harmonic of light emitted from the pumped solid laser crystal is caused to make laser oscillation by a resonator structure containing therein a nonlinear optical crystal. The electric current to be poured into the laser diode is controlled so that the pumping laser beam emitted from the laser diode is kept at an output level at which the pumping laser beam cannot cause the harmonic of light emitted from the solid laser crystal to make laser oscillation though pumping the solid laser crystal.

Abstract: A laser-diode-pumped solid state laser in which a solid state laser crystal is pumped by a light beam produced by a laser diode and which is not lower than 10 W in the internal power of the resonator includes a temperature control circuit which keeps the inside temperature of a resonator at a predetermined temperature and, a wavelength selector which is disposed in the resonator and selects one of a plurality of oscillation modes in the resonator, thereby making the laser oscillate in a single mode. The wavelength selector has characteristics such that the increase in temperature of the wavelength selector due to absorption of a laser beam is smaller than a value such that when the temperature of the wavelength selector changes by the value or more, the oscillation mode selected by the wavelength selector changes.

Abstract: A solid state laser includes a resonator, a solid laser crystal disposed in the resonator, a pumping source for pumping the laser crystal, a pair of .lambda./4 plates which is disposed in the resonator with the laser crystal intervening therebetween and makes an oscillation beam of a twisted mode, and a polarization control element which is disposed in the resonator and sets the linear polarization of the solid state laser beam in a predetermined direction. The solid laser crystal is a birefringent crystal and an optical axis of the birefringence of the solid laser crystal is oriented in the direction of the linear polarization of the solid state laser beam set by the polarization control element.