Abstract: Illuminating light is two-dimensionally scanned without changing the ability to focus the illuminating light on a specimen. Provided is a microscope apparatus including a spatial light modulator that modulates the wavefront of illuminating light; a scanner that two-dimensionally scans the illuminating light by pivoting two mirrors; a relay optical system that relays an image in the scanner to a pupil position of an objective optical system; and a beam-shift mechanism that moves rays of the illuminating light between the modulator and the objective optical system in response to pivoting of the mirrors. The beam-shift mechanism moves the rays such that the image at the pupil position, when assuming that the mirrors are stationary, is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the image relayed to the pupil position by the relay optical system, when assuming that the mirrors are pivoted with the rays fixed, is moved.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a scanning system comprises optical elements and a movement system. The optical elements comprise an optical fiber and a focusing element. The optical fiber transmits a light ray and has a fiber axis that extends to an imaginary fiber axis. The focusing element refracts the light ray and has a focusing element optical axis that is substantially aligned with the imaginary fiber axis. The movement system rotates the focusing element about the focusing element optical axis to scan the light ray. In other embodiments, a scanning system comprises optical elements and a movement system. The optical elements comprise an optical fiber, a focusing element, and a prism. The prism has a prism optical axis and receives the light ray from the focusing element. The movement system rotates the prism about the prism optical axis to scan the light ray.

Abstract: There are provided a lens, a method of fabricating the lens, and a light scanning unit. The lens includes a lens portion having an effective optical surface, and a gate-side flange portion between the lens portion and a gate-side end of the lens. If the lens is disposed between two polarizers configured to polarize light linearly in perpendicular directions and is illuminated in an optical axis direction, interference fringes are generated on the lens, and peripheral interference fringes of the interference fringes extend continuously from the gate-side end and are longer than the gate-side flange portion.

Abstract: A miniature rotating transmissive optical scanner system employs a drum of small size having an interior defined by a circumferential wall rotatable on a drum axis, an optical element positioned within the interior of the drum, and a light-transmissive lens aperture provided at an angular position in the circumferential wall of the drum for scanning a light beam to or from the optical element in the drum along a beam azimuth angle as the drum is rotated. The miniature optical drum scanner configuration obtains a wide scanning field-of-view (FOV) and large effective aperture is achieved within a physically small size.

Abstract: The laser scanning optical device comprises: a light source; a collimator lens; a light source holder; a lens holder; a light source unit holder; a first rotation axis; and a second rotation axis. The light source includes a plurality of light emitting points. The collimator lens converts diverging rays irradiated from the light source into parallel rays. The light source holder holds the light source. The lens holder holds the collimator lens. The light source unit holder holds the light source holder and the lens holder. The first rotation axis rotates the collimator lens with respect to an ideal optical axis. The second rotation axis rotates the light source unit holder while constantly maintaining a positional relationship between the light source holder and the lens holder.

Abstract: A miniature rotating transmissive optical scanner system employs a drum of small size having an interior defined by a circumferential wall rotatable on a drum axis, an optical element positioned within the interior of the drum, and a light-transmissive lens aperture provided at an angular position in the circumferential wall of the drum for scanning a light beam to or from the optical element in the drum along a beam azimuth angle as the drum is rotated. The miniature optical drum scanner configuration obtains a wide scanning field-of-view (FOV) and large effective aperture is achieved within a physically small size.

Abstract: Miniaturization is realized and high-output lights are obtained by optimizing the arrangement of a laser light source unit and a homogenizer. A laser light source unit 1 has a light emission region for emitting an elliptical laser light. A focusing lens unit 2 focuses the laser light emitted from the laser light source unit 1. A rod integrator 4 has a rectangular incident surface on luminous flux focused by the focusing lens unit 2. A spatial light modulation element 7 modulates the laser light emitted from the rod integrator 4. A projection lens 8 projects the laser light modulated by the spatial light modulation element 7. The incident surface of the rod integrator 4 has a rectangular shape, and the laser light source unit 1 is arranged such that a longer axis direction of the light emission region and a longer side direction of the incident surface of the rod integrator are parallel.

Abstract: A high precision refractive scanner includes a light source that generates a light beam, a lens pair including a stationary plano-concave lens and a movable plano-convex lens, a thin film-covered panel, and an F-theta lens that focuses the light beam that passes through the lens pair onto the panel. The plano-convex lens has an initial position where a first edge is in refracting relation to the light beam and a final position where a second edge is in refracting relation to the light beam. The plano-convex lens rotates about a pivot point that represents the origin of the respective radii of curvatures of both lenses with a nominal air gap between the two lenses. Rotation of the plano-convex lens causes the light beam to be refracted over a predetermined scan angle. A focal spot forms a scribe when it travels from a first to a second edge of the panel.

Abstract: An optical scanning probe is provided and includes an optical scanning element which scans a subject with light, and a signal switching section for switching a drive signal for making the optical scanning element perform optical scanning. The optical scanning element includes a movable portion having a micro mirror which is displaced in a first rotating direction and a second rotating direction, and first and second drivers which apply physical acting forces to the movable portion. The signal switching section has a function for switching a driving preparation signal for attracting the movable portion in either the first rotating direction or the second rotating direction into a scanning drive signal for attracting the movable portion in the first rotating direction and the second rotating direction alternately. The maximum voltage of the driving preparation signal is set value to be higher than the maximum voltage of the scanning drive signal.

Abstract: A laser direct imaging apparatus which can expose photosensitive materials having various sensitivities and which can correct an imaging position in accordance with deformation of a workpiece. In the laser direct imaging apparatus, the workpiece is moved in a sub-scanning direction while a cylindrical lens is used to converge a laser beam, which has been modulated based on raster data, in the sub-scanning direction and deflect the laser beam toward a main scanning direction so as to image a desired pattern on the workpiece. The cylindrical axis of the cylindrical lens is designed to be able to rotate horizontally and to be able to change an angle with respect to the main scanning direction.