Abstract: A diffractive optical element (DOE) is included in an apparatus for combining a plurality of laser beams. The DOE combines the plurality of laser beams to generate a plurality of spatially distributed laser beams. The DOE is one of movable or stationary. The spatially distributed laser beams are usable to pattern a workpiece.

Abstract: An actuator includes a substrate including an insulating surface, a first electrode positioned on the insulating surface, and a flexible drive plate which opposes the insulating surface. Te actuator also includes a conductive liquid positioned between the insulating surface and the flexible drive plate, and the conductive liquid directly or indirectly contacts the insulating surface and the flexible drive surface. Moreover, the actuator includes a potential application device electrically coupled to the first electrode and configured to apply a potential to the first electrode.

Abstract: In one embodiment the invention provides a device for modulating light. The device includes a non-imaging concentrating optic having a body with a first end through which light enters the body and a second end through which light leaves the body; and a shutter component which can be selectively aligned with the second end in one of several operative positions wherein in at least one operative position, the shutter component is sufficiently close to the second end of the body to be within the wavelength of an evanescent wave generated at a surface of the body at the second end when total internal reflection occurs at the surface.

Abstract: An optical MEMS retro-reflective apparatus with modulation capability having a retro-reflecting structure including a pair of reflective surfaces; and a MEMS device for moving at least one of the reflective surfaces of said pair of reflective surfaces relative to another one of the reflective surfaces of said pair of reflective surfaces a distance which causes the pair of reflective surfaces to switch between a reflective mode of operation and a transmissive mode of operation. A substrate and a moveable grating structure may be substituted for the reflective surfaces.

Abstract: MEMS devices such as interferometric modulators are described having movable layers that are mechanically isolated. The movable layers are electrically attractable such that they can be selectively moved between a top and bottom electrode through application of a voltage. In interferometric modulators, the movable layers are reflective such that an optically resonant cavity is formed between the layer and a partially reflective layer, thereby providing a display pixel that can be turned on or off depending on the distance between the reflective layers in the resonant cavity.

Abstract: A system for illuminating an object is provided, the system comprising a coherent or semi-coherent light source and a first diffuser positioned relative to the coherent or semi-coherent light source so as to receive said coherent or semi-coherent light. The first diffuser may diffuse the light to produce diffused light. An actuator having a moveable element, such as a moveable reflective surface, may be positioned to project the diffused light onto an object, and may be moved to project light onto different portions of the object. This movement may be performed with such rapidity that it is not perceived by a person viewing the object. Rather, the entire object would appear to be illuminated. Movement of the element may be controlled by a computer, and may be performed according to a predefined routine.

Abstract: In an optical switch controller, in order that residual vibration at movement control of a movable body such as a tilt mirror can be reduced and controlled with high accuracy, a processing unit outputs a driving signal for controlling the angle of the tilt mirror, the driving signal is D/A converted by a D/A converter and then is changed to a high-voltage signal by a high-voltage amplifier to be supplied to the tilt mirror, the electrostatic capacity of the tilt mirror changes corresponding to angle change of the tilt mirror, a mirror-angle detecting unit detects the electrostatic capacity and feeds back it as a correction value to a processing unit, and the processing unit corrects the driving signal using a correction value obtained when the angle of the tilt mirror is actually changed.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing a pulsed radiation beam has a radiation source providing a pulsed radiation beam at a constant pulse repetition frequency. A beam deflector in the path of the pulsed radiation beam is actuable to redirect the pulsed radiation beam cyclically towards each of a plurality of beam intensity modulators in turn. A beam recombiner combines modulated light from each of the plurality of beam intensity modulators in order to form the modulated pulsed radiation beam at the constant pulse repetition frequency.

Abstract: A deflection device includes a tabular object for transmitting or reflecting an electromagnetic wave, a drive unit for driving the tabular object so as to rotate or perform a translation motion, and an electromagnetic wave irradiation unit for irradiating the tabular object with an electromagnetic wave so that an irradiation area extending in a direction intersecting a direction of the rotation or translation motion of the tabular object is formed.

Abstract: A scanning beam projection system includes a scanning mirror having a fast-scan axis and a slow-scan axis. Movement on the slow-scan axis is controlled by a slow-scan scanning mirror control system. The control system receives position information describing angular displacement of the mirror. An outer loop of the control system includes least mean square (LMS) tone adders that determine harmonically related signals that when combined produce a scanning mirror drive signal. An inner loop of the control system compensates for a scanning mirror resonant vibration mode at a frequency within the frequency band occupied by the harmonically related signals.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems, methods and devices relating to miniature actuatable platform systems. According to one embodiment, the systems, methods, and devices relate to controllably actuated miniature platform assemblies including a miniature mirror.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a MEMS device for a scanner system may be driven in a non-resonant mode of operation. The drive signal provided to the MEMS device may be tailored to prevent the MEMS device from exhibiting resonance characteristics and to cause the MEMS device to operate non-resonantly. In one or more embodiments, a filter may be used to tailor the frequency components of the drive signal, for example to sufficiently attenuate frequency components at or near the resonant frequency of the drive signal. A direct current signal may be provided to the MEMS device to provide an offset to scanned light beam for example to provide beam steering, and the sweep range and/or sweep frequency may be adjusted for example to steer the scanning field of view off axis from the user pointing axis.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems device having support structures formed of sacrificial material surrounded by a protective material. The microelectromechanical systems device includes a substrate having an electrode formed thereon. Another electrode is separated from the first electrode by a cavity and forms a movable layer, which is supported by support structures formed of a sacrificial material.

Abstract: A light scanning unit includes: a light source; a beam deflector to form forward direction and reverse direction scanning lines on an image section and first and second non-image sections respectively disposed at opposite sides of the image section; a reflecting member to reflect the light beam input from the beam deflector; a light detector to receive a first light beam directly input from the beam deflector and a second light beam input via the reflecting member; a control unit to determine whether the scanning line is a forward direction scanning line or a reverse direction scanning line based on signals respectively corresponding to the first and second light beams detected in the light detector, and to control the light source so that a light beam including image information corresponding to a scanning direction of the scanning line can be emitted; and a synchronization adjusting unit to correct an alignment error between the forward direction scanning line and the reverse direction scanning line due to

Abstract: An image display apparatus that displays an image through scanning by a plurality of beam lights, includes: a light source section that supplies the beam lights; and a scanning section that subjects to scanning the beam lights coming from the light source section. In the image display apparatus, the light source section is driven for a tone representation using the beam lights each having a light amount that is assigned a weight depending on how many bits are allocated in a range from minimum to maximum, and allocates at least two of the beam lights to at least one higher-order bit in the range.

Abstract: An optical communication system is provided for conveying signals between multiple housing elements of a device, where respective optical detectors and optical light sources interact via a light guide associated with each communication path, where an optical signal produced by the optical light source and received by the optical detector travels a path where at least a first light redirection unit redirects the optical signal between an angle in which the optical signal travels along at least a portion of the length of the light guide, and an angle which allows the optical signal to exit the light guide. In at least some instances, the multiple housing elements correspond to at least a pair of housing elements that are incorporated as part of a communication device having a slider configuration. In some of the same or still further instances, one or more of the light redirection units are diffractive optical elements. In some instances, one or more of the light redirection units are reflectors.

Abstract: Provided are a laser backside irradiation device and a liquid crystal display device capable of reducing the thickness of the device and improving the contrast while making the luminance distribution substantially uniform. A laser backside irradiation device 100 includes a laser light source 1; a splitting optical system 101 for splitting laser light emitted from the laser light source 1 into a plurality of laser beams; and a plurality of illumination optical systems 102 for illuminating a liquid crystal panel 5 for two-dimensionally modulating a light intensity from a backside thereof, wherein the illumination optical systems 102 expand the laser beams split by the splitting optical system 101 to illuminate divided regions on the liquid crystal panel 5, respectively.

Abstract: The invention claimed is a novel magnetic mirror air bearing for a Michelson interferometer with lateral motion. A precise kinematic mount is used in combination with magnetic fields wherein current can be applied on a centerline to move a piston and mirror laterally without pitch and yaw so as to effect accurate light beam reflection regardless of distance of lateral movement within a defined space. The assembly is able to operate across extended temperature ranges by utilizing materials which expand and contract at similar rates, and contains a thermalizing cavity which will thermalize the gas to avoid temperature induced artifacts.

Abstract: A surface-emitting laser array includes a plurality of surface-emitting laser devices arranged in an array. An optical system includes a plurality of optical devices to guide a light beam composed of lights emitted from the surface-emitting laser array to a target surface to be scanned. A light-intensity-control-device switching unit places one of light-intensity control devices having different light transmittances at a predetermined position in an optical path of the light beam.

Abstract: A light scanning unit includes: a light source unit; a polygon mirror for deflecting and scanning light emitted from the light source unit, in a main scanning direction, and having a plurality of deflection surfaces and a plurality of edges at which adjacent deflection surfaces meet one another; an image forming optical system for condensing the deflected light; and a synchronization detection optical system for detecting a portion of light that is divided and reflected at an edge of the polygon mirror. The light scanning unit may be incorporated into an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A mirror drive apparatus includes: a movable unit including a mirror used to switch an optical path in an imaging apparatus; and a drive mechanism that switches the attitude of the movable unit from a first attitude to a second attitude by relatively moving a specific member along a predetermined section defined by an edge of the movable unit from a start point to an end point of the predetermined section, wherein the movable unit includes a protrusion that protrudes from an extension line toward the specific member, the extension line obtained by extending the predetermined section beyond the end point.

Abstract: Disclosed is a diffractive micromirror and a method of producing the same. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a diffractive thin-film piezoelectric micromirror, which is operated in a piezoelectric operation manner to assure excellent displacement, operation speed, reliability, linearity, and low voltage operation, and a method of producing the same. The diffractive thin-film piezoelectric micromirror includes a silicon substrate on which a recess is formed to provide an air space to the center thereof, and a piezoelectric mirror layer having a band shape, which is attached to the silicon substrate along both ends of the recess at both ends thereof while being spaced from the bottom of the recess at a center portion thereof and which includes a thin-film piezoelectric material layer to be vertically movable when voltage is applied to the piezoelectric material layer, and thus diffracts an incident light beam.

Abstract: An optical device equipped with a mirror which reflects light, include a plurality of first receiving parts that touch one face of one of ends in a lengthwise direction of the mirror; a plurality of first pressing parts that touch a face opposing to the face to which the first receiving parts touch, and press the mirror with elastic force toward the first receiving parts

Abstract: A micro actuator and a method of manufacturing the micro actuator. A micro actuator includes a base frame, a first movable part, a second movable part, at least one pair of permanent magnets, a coil part, and a deformation suppression portion. The first movable part is rotatably connected to the base frame. The second movable part is rotatably connected to the first movable part and includes a mirror which changes an optical path. The coil part includes a plurality of coil sections protruded from top surfaces of the first and second movable parts. The deformation suppression portion includes a plurality of grooves formed in the first and second movable parts between the coil sections. The deformation suppression portion suppresses a thermal deformation, which occurs when a current is applied to the coil part, so as to reduce deformations of the first and second movable parts.

Abstract: An adjustable two-dimensional lamellar grating system including a lamellar grating and a movable mirror disposed substantially parallel to one another, and an interferometer using the adjustable lamellar grating system. In one example, the lamellar grating includes a dielectric wafer having a dielectric wafer having a plurality of periodically spaced recesses formed therein, wherein the dielectric wafer has higher reflectivity at its surface facing the movable mirror than at a second opposing surface. In one example, the system also includes a mechanism for moving the mirror relative to the dielectric wafer.

Abstract: A movable body apparatus includes a vibratory system, a vibration detecting portion, a driving portion, and a controlling portion. The vibratory system has a resonance frequency and a movable body capable of being reciprocally and rotatably vibrated. The vibration detecting portion detects a vibration condition of the movable body. The driving portion drives the vibratory system with a drive signal. The controlling portion regulates the drive signal supplied to the driving portion. The controlling portion regulates a driving frequency of the drive signal so that a delay phase difference between the drive phase of the drive signal and the vibration phase of the vibratory system obtained from detection result of the vibration detecting portion, both obtained when the vibratory system is vibrated at a predetermined frequency, is maintained.

Abstract: A mirror moving device has a mirror configured to change an optical path of an imaging apparatus. The device includes a movable unit having the mirror, a moving mechanism capable of changing an orientation of the mirror between a first position and a second position, and a positioning member configured to be in contact with a predetermined region of the movable unit when the mirror is made to be in the first position, whereby the mirror is positioned in the first position. The predetermined region and the positioning member are magnetic bodies, at least one thereof being magnetized as a permanent magnet. A magnetic attraction acting between the predetermined region and the positioning member when the mirror is in the first position is smaller than a motive force acting on the predetermined region when the mirror in the first position is moved so as to be in the second position.

Abstract: A surface light emitting apparatus capable of providing uniform illumination while efficiently using a laser light. The apparatus comprises a light source section that includes at least one light source which emits laser beam; an optical element section that includes at least one diffractive optical element section that modifies a wavefront of the laser beam emitted from the light source section by diffraction action; and an optical guiding section that guides from an incidence surface of the optical guiding section the laser beam emitted from the diffraction optical section and emits the laser beam from a radiation surface of the optical guiding section.

Abstract: In a method for driving a micro mirror such as MEMS mirror and a display apparatus using the method, there are provided a mirror driving unit for driving the micro mirror which operates in a resonant mode and a nonresonant mode, a driving-condition setting unit for setting a mirror driving condition, a switching unit for switching on/off a mirror driving signal in the nonresonant mode, and a look-up table for indicating the relationship of a mirror response with respect to the driving condition already known in advance. The switching unit controls the transmission of the nonresonant-mode mirror driving signal while grasping the mirror response state with respect to the mirror driving signal, thereby finely increasing and decreasing a driving torque for the micro mirror. This fine increase and decrease allows the micro mirror to be fluctuated stably, and a further enhancement in the fluctuation rate.

Abstract: An optical reflection device includes a mirror adapted to reflect light thereon, a first meander vibration beam supporting the mirror rotatably about the first rotation axis, a movable frame connected to the first meander vibration beam, a second meander vibration beam supporting the movable frame rotatably about a second rotation axis, and a supporter connected to the second meander vibration beam. The first meander vibration beam meanderingly extends along a first rotation axis, and has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The movable frame is connected to the second end of the first meander vibration beam. The second meander vibration beam extends meanderingly along the second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis, and has a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end. The supporter is connected to the fourth end of the second meander vibration beam. The mirror is coupled to the movable frame only via the first meander vibration beam.

Abstract: An observing device for observing a flow field in a detection space is provided. The observing device includes a light source generating a light beam, a light-deflecting device deflecting the light beam, and a light sheet-generating component receiving the light beam deflected by the light-deflecting device and generating a light sheet in the detection space corresponding to the deflected light beam.

Abstract: A method for sensing the actuation and/or release voltages of a electromechanical system or a microelectromechanical device include applying a varying voltage to the device and sensing its state and different voltage levels. In one embodiment, the device is part of a system comprising an array of interferometric modulators suitable for a display. The method can be used to compensate for temperature dependent changes in display pixel characteristics.

Abstract: A changeable apparatus for scanning a symbol is disclosed wherein by selectively changing the position of a bending mirror (101), different scan patterns are produced. In a preferred embodiment, the different positions of the bending mirror (101) result in a scanning beam (107, 108) being directed off of different polygon scanning mirrors (104, 105) to create the different scanning patterns.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes two scanning units each having an input optical system for making, in a sub-scan section, a light beam from a light source be incident at a finite angle on a deflecting surface of a deflector, and an imaging optical system for imaging, on a scan surface, the light beam scanningly deflected by the deflecting surface, the two scanning units being disposed opposed to each other with the deflecting means intervening therebetween, wherein one scanning unit has a first imaging optical element and a second imaging optical element while the other scanning unit has a third imaging optical element and a fourth imaging optical element, wherein the one scanning unit includes a light blocking member for intercepting unwanted light reflected at an optical surface of the fourth imaging optical element, wherein the third imaging optical element is provided at a light path between the fourth imaging optical element and the first light blocking member, and wherein the third imaging optical e

Abstract: A displaying optical system is disclosed, which is capable of reducing a speckle noise. The displaying optical system comprises a light source emitting coherent light, a scanning device scanning the light, a first optical system causing the light from the scanning device to form an intermediate image, a second optical system causing the light from the intermediate image to form an image on a real display surface, and an optical element arranged between the first and second optical systems. The optical element widens the divergence angle of the light emerged from the optical element toward the second optical system more than the incident angle of the light on the optical element from the first optical system.

Abstract: A method of controlling an element of an array of individually controllable elements. The method includes varying a frequency of a driving voltage with which the element is driven.

Abstract: An optical scanning element includes: a first member which is constituted of a mirror portion, a mirror supporting portion and a frame portion; a second member which fixes and holds the frame portion of the first member thereon; and a piezoelectric body. The frame portion includes a beam portion and fixing portions which are positioned at both ends of the beam portion, the mirror supporting portion is connected to the beam portion at a connection point, and the piezoelectric body is fixedly mounted on the frame portion in a state that the piezoelectric body extends toward the connection point of the beam portion from the fixing portion to a position not over the connection point thus extending over the beam portion and the fixing portion. Due to such constitution, a swinging angle of the mirror portion can be increased thus enlarging a scanning angle.

Abstract: MEMS can be fabricated from fibers without the use of a matrix material. Devices can be built where fibers are attached only at a substrate edge (e.g. cantilevers, bridges). Motions can be controlled by adjusting the linkage between multiple fibers with weak coupling (e.g. base, tip, in-between). Driving mechanisms include base-forcing (magnetics, piezo, electrostatics) or tip forcing (magnetics). Mirrors may be formed on free ends of cantilevers to form optical scanners.

Abstract: Optical filter functionality is incorporated into a substrate of a display element thereby decreasing the need for a separate thin film filter and, accordingly, reducing a total thickness of a filtered display element. Filter functionality may be provided by any filter material, such as pigment materials, photoluminescent materials, and opaque material, for example. The filter material may be incorporated in the substrate at the time of creating the substrate or may be selectively diffused in the substrate through a process of masking the substrate, exposing the substrate to the filter material, and heating the substrate in order to diffuse the filter material in the substrate.

Abstract: An optical scanner that may assemble the lens design for varying the focus and resolution, having a light source, a reflection compound mirror, a charge coupled device, a basic objective lens and a compound lens. The basic objective lens is designed by simulation software. According to the lens design theory, the compound lens is designed. By incorporating the basic objective lens and the compound lens, different resolutions such as 1200 dpi, 1600 dpi and 2400 dpi of the optical scanner are obtained without redesigning the lens device, the current specification of the optical scanner is also varied.