Abstract: A beam splitter and a 3D image acquisition apparatus including the beam splitter are provided. The beam splitter includes a light incident surface on which light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength are incident; a beam splitting surface which is inclined to the light incident surface and reflects the light having the first wavelength and transmits the light having the second wavelength; a first light exit surface through which the light having the first wavelength reflected from the beam splitting surface exits; a first reflective surface which reflects the light having the second wavelength transmitted by the beam splitting surface; a second reflective surface which reflects the light having the second wavelength reflected from the first reflective surface; and a second light exit surface through which the light having the second wavelength reflected from the second reflective surface exits.

Abstract: A large-area transmissive type optical image modulator, a method of manufacturing the same, and an optical apparatus including the transmissive type optical image modulator are provided. The large-area transmissive type optical image modulator includes: a base substrate; a first expitaxial layer formed on the base substrate; a second expitaxial layer formed on the first expitaxial layer; a first electrode formed on the first expitaxial layer and spaced apart from the second expitaxial layer; a second electrode formed on the second expitaxial layer; and a transparent substrate covering the second expitaxial layer and the second electrode, wherein the base substrate includes a through hole corresponding to a light emitting area, and the first expitaxial layer may include an n-type or p-type doping material.

Abstract: An optical system including integrated illumination and imaging optical systems, and a 3-dimensional (3D) image acquisition apparatus including the optical system. In the optical system of the 3D image acquisition apparatus, the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system are integrated to have a coaxial optical path. Accordingly, there is no parallax between the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system, so that depth information about an object acquired using illumination light may reflect actual distances between the object and the 3D image acquisition apparatus. Consequently, the depth information about the object may be more precise. The zero parallax between the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system may improve utilization efficiency of the illumination light. As a result, a greater amount of light may be incident on the 3D image acquisition apparatus, which ensures to acquire further precise depth information about the object.

Abstract: An optoelectronic shutter, a method of operating the same, and an optical apparatus including the optoelectronic shutter are provided. The optoelectronic shutter includes a phototransistor which generates an output signal from incident input light and a light emitting diode serially connected to the phototransistor. The light emitting diode outputs output light according to the output signal, and the output signal is gain-modulated according to a modulation of a current gain of the phototransistor.

Abstract: A method for extracting depth information, which may include extracting depth information relating to an object by using an actual nonlinear waveform instead of a mathematically ideal waveform and simultaneously may include effectively removing errors due to random noises that may be caused in a light source, an light modulator, an imaging device, or the like, is provided. The method may include performing simple multiplex and addition on captured images and performing a search of a look-up table. Thus, correct distance information may be extracted without being affected by a type of waveform being used, and an amount of memory which is used and calculated for removing random noise may be reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device and a method of driving the same, which prevent image-quality defects due to charge variation. In the method of driving the liquid crystal display device including a pixel consisting of first to third sub-pixels which share one data line and are connected to first to third gate lines, one sub-pixel is turned off on a per frame basis, another sub-pixel is charged with a polarity inverted data voltage for a first charge time including a charge time of the turned-off sub-pixel, and the other sub-pixel is charged with a data voltage having the same polarity as a previous data voltage for a second charge time less than the first charge time. The turned-off sub-pixel, the sub-pixel charged with the polarity inverted data voltage, and the sub-pixel charged with the polarity maintained data voltage alternately vary on a per frame basis.

Abstract: Provided is an optical device which includes an active layer which includes at least two outer barriers and at least one coupled quantum well, each of the at least one coupled quantum well is sandwiched between the at least two outer barriers. Each of the at least one coupled quantum well includes at least three quantum well layers and at least two coupling barriers interposed between the at least three quantum layers. The at least two coupling barriers have a potential energy which is higher than a ground level and is lower than energy levels of the at least two outer barriers.

Abstract: Provided are a depth camera and methods of measuring a depth image by using the depth camera. The depth camera is a time-of-flight (TOF) depth camera including: an illumination device that illuminates a patterned light to an object; a filter unit that reduces noise light included in light reflected by the object; and an image sensor that provides a depth image of the object by receiving light that enters through the filter unit. The illumination device includes: a light source; and a patterned light generator that changes the light emitted from the light source into the patterned light. The filter unit includes a band pass filter and an optical modulator. The patterned light generator may be a diffractive optical element or a refractive optical element.

Abstract: An optical device includes a gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate, and a multiple quantum well structure formed on the GaAs substrate and having a quantum well layer and a quantum barrier layer. In the optical device, the quantum well layer is formed of a first semiconductor material that has a bandgap energy which is lower than that of the GaAs substrate and receives a compressive strain from the GaAs substrate, and the quantum barrier layer is formed of a second semiconductor material that has a bandgap energy which is higher than that of the GaAs substrate and receives a tensile strain from the GaAs substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are a transparent optical shutter which may be manufactured at the wafer level, and a method of manufacturing a transparent optical shutter at the wafer level. In the disclosed optical shutter, a polymer-based material is used as a transparent protective layer for ensuring the mechanical or chemical stability of the optical shutter, and thus, the shutter may be manufactured at the wafer level in large quantities. Also, a layer which is optically transparent and has excellent heat conductivity is disposed under the transparent protective layer.

Abstract: A transmissive light modulator including a first reflection layer; a first active layer, arranged on the first reflection layer and including a plurality of quantum well layers and a plurality of barrier layers; a second reflection layer arranged on the first active layer; a second active layer, arranged on the second reflection layer and including a plurality of quantum well layers and a plurality of barrier layers; and a third reflection layer arranged on the second active layer, wherein the first reflection layer and the third reflection layer are each doped with a first type dopant, and the second reflection layer is doped with a second type dopant, which is electrically opposite to the first type dopant.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes: a bottom reflective layer; an active layer which is disposed on the bottom reflective layer and includes a multiple quantum well layer; and a top reflective layer which is disposed on the active layer, the top reflective layer including a first top reflective layer which is disposed on the active layer, a first cavity layer which is disposed on the first top reflective layer, a second top reflective layer which is disposed on the first cavity layer, a second cavity layer which is disposed on the second top reflective layer, and a third top reflective layer which is disposed on the second cavity layer. When a center wavelength of an incident light to be modulated is ?, the active layer and the first and second cavity layers have an optical thickness that is an integer multiple of ?/2 to provide an individual resonant cavity.

Abstract: Provided are a wavelength separation device and a 3-dimensional (3D) image acquisition apparatus including the same. The wavelength separation device includes a first prism having an inclined surface and a second prism bonded to a first region of the inclined surface of the first prism. A wavelength separation coating may be disposed at a junction between the first portion of the inclined surface of the first prism and the second prism, and a second portion of the inclined surface of the first prism, different from the first portion, is a total reflection surface that totally internally reflects light.

Abstract: A transmissive image modulator for allowing image modulation over a wide bandwidth with multiple Fabry-Perot resonant modes and multiple absorption modes is provided. The transmissive image modulator includes a lower reflection layer; an active layer disposed on the lower reflection layer, including multiple quantum well layers and multiple barrier layers; an upper reflection layer disposed on the active layer; and at least one micro-cavity layer disposed in at least one of the lower and upper reflection layer. The active layer and the at least one micro-cavity layer have thicknesses of a multiple of ?/2, where ? is a resonant wavelength.

Abstract: An optical device is provided including an active layer having two outer barriers and a coupled quantum well between the two outer barriers. The coupled quantum well includes a first quantum well layer, a second quantum well layer, a third quantum well layer, a first coupling barrier between the first quantum well layer and the second quantum well layer, and a second coupling barrier between the second quantum well layer and the third quantum well layer. A thickness of the first quantum well layer and a thickness of the third quantum well layer are each different from a thickness of the second quantum well layer. Also, an energy level of the first quantum well layer and an energy level of the third quantum well layer are each different from an energy level of the second quantum well layer.

Abstract: A touch display device includes a touch display panel for displaying an image corresponding to a touch applied from outside the touch display device, a gate driver for sequentially driving all gate lines of the touch display panel once during a unit field period including at least two continuous field periods, in such a manner that a total gate driving period corresponding to a sum of individual gate driving periods of all gate lines is shorter than the unit field period, and a touch control unit for defining periods of the unit field period other than the total gate driving period, as a touch sensing period, and performing an operation for sensing a touch on the touch display panel during the touch sensing period.

Abstract: An optical modulator and a 3D image acquisition apparatus including an optical modulator are provided. The optical modulator is disposed in a multiple quantum well including a plurality of quantum wells and a plurality of quantum barriers, and includes at least one carrier block disposed in the multiple quantum well restricting the carrier movement between the multiple quantum wells.

Abstract: Provided are a high-speed optical modulator and a method of modulating light by using the same. The optical modulator includes first and second resonance cavities that are sequentially stacked on a transparent substrate, wherein the first and second resonance cavities each include an electric-optical layer. According to the method, first and second voltages having different sizes are simultaneously applied respectively to the first and second resonance cavities, and then for the other configuration of the modulator mutually interchanged voltages are applied.

Abstract: A 3 dimensional (3D) image acquisition apparatus and a method of extracting depth information in the 3D image acquisition apparatus are provided. The method of extracting depth information includes sequentially projecting N (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 3) different pieces of projection light onto a object; modulating N pieces of reflection light reflected from the object with an optical modulation signal having a gain waveform; generating N images by capturing the N pieces of modulated reflection light; generating a first averaged image by multiplying the N images by primary weights and generating a second averaged image by multiplying the N images by secondary weights; acquiring an average phase delay from the first and second averaged images; and calculating a distance to the object from the average phase delay.

Abstract: Provided is a 3-dimensional (3D) image acquisition apparatus and a method of driving the same. The 3D image acquisition apparatus includes a light source, an optical shutter, an image sensor, an image signal processor, and a controller. The light source is configured to project illumination light on an object. The optical shutter is configured to modulate the illumination light reflected from the object with a predetermined gain waveform. The image sensor is configured to generate a depth image by detecting the illumination light modulated by the optical shutter. The image signal processor is configured to calculate a distance from the 3D image acquisition apparatus to the object using the depth image generated by the image sensor. The controller is configured to control an operation of the light source and an operation of the optical shutter.