Abstract: Augmented reality glasses include near eye displays the include sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light optical coupled to spatial phase modulators or active zone plate modulators and optically coupled to eye coupling optics. The sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light can include emissive 2D display panels or light sources coupled to imagewise amplitude modulators. The eye coupling optics can include volume holographic diffraction gratings.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element may include sub-wavelength period stack-and-gap structured layers providing transmissive phase delay at a wavelength. The sub-wavelength period stack-and-gap structured layers may include a set of thin anti-reflection layers that are index matched to an environment or a substrate over a range of fill factors of the sub-wavelength period.

Abstract: The optical component includes a first substrate, a first diffractive layer formed on the first substrate, a second substrate, a second diffractive layer formed on the second substrate, and a bonding material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and connecting the first substrate and the second substrate. The second diffractive layer is disposed opposite to the first diffractive layer, and both the first diffractive layer and the second diffractive layer are located between the first substrate and the second substrate. A gap is formed between the first diffractive layer and the second diffractive layer.

Abstract: A device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The device also includes a birefringent medium layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Orientations of directors of optically anisotropic molecules included in the birefringent medium layer varying periodically with an in-plane pitch tunable by an external field to adjust a diffraction angle of a light beam diffracted by the birefringent medium layer.

Abstract: An integrated photo-sensing detection display substrate. The integrated photo-sensing detection display substrate includes a base substrate; a plurality of light emitting elements on the base substrate and configured to emit light, a portion of the light being totally reflected by a surface thereby forming totally reflected light; an addressable diffraction grating layer on a side of the base substrate away from the plurality of light emitting elements, and including a plurality of individually addressable diffraction regions, light diffraction respectively in the plurality of individually addressable diffraction regions being independently controllable; and a photosensor on a side of the addressable diffraction grating layer away from the base substrate and configured to detect light transmitted from one or more of the plurality of individually addressable diffraction regions, thereby detecting fingerprint information.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a camera system. In one embodiment, the camera system includes a lens to receive light associated with an object and a first component, operatively connected to the lens, that inverts the light. The camera system also includes a second component, operatively connected to the first component, that resolves an angle of the light. A detector array, operatively connected to the second component, senses the light using a pixel to form an image to estimate depth of the object.

Abstract: A compound metaoptic is presented. The compound metaoptic is comprised of at least two phase-discontinuous metasurfaces, which can convert an incident light beam to an aperture field with a desired magnitude, phase, and polarization profile. Each of the constitutive metasurfaces is designed to exhibit specific refractive properties, which vary along the metasurface. Furthermore, due to its transmission-based operation, the metaoptic can operate without lenses and be low profile: potentially having a thickness on the order of a few wavelengths or less. A systematic design procedure is also presented, which allows conversion between arbitrary complex-valued field distributions without reflection, absorption or active components. Such compound metaoptics may find applications where a specific complex field distribution is desired, including displaying holographic images and augmented or virtual reality systems.

Abstract: A plasmonic field-enhanced photodetector is disclosed. The photodetector may generate photocurrent by absorbing surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) generated by combining surface plasmons (SPs) with photons of a light wave.

Abstract: A mode-switchable backlight and mode-switchable privacy display provide narrow-angle emitted light during a first mode and broad-angle emitted light in a second mode, the broad-angle emitted light being a combination of the narrow-angle emitted light and bidirectional emitted light. The mode-switchable backlight includes a first directional backlight and a second directional backlight. The first directional backlight is configured to provide the narrow-angle emitted light during both of the first mode and second mode, while the second directional backlight is configured to provide the bidirectional emitted light exclusively during the second mode. The mode-switchable privacy display includes an array of light valves configured to modulate the narrow-angle emitted light as a private displayed image during the first or privacy mode and to modulate broad-angle emitted light as a public displayed image during the second or public mode.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a planar metalens and a cover glass including the planar metalens.

Abstract: A display device includes a display having optically anisotropic molecules disposed between a front surface and a back surface. The display is configurable to either receive image light and diffuse the image light to output diffused image light from the front surface, or to transmit ambient light from the back surface to the front surface. The display device also includes an optical assembly that has a substrate, a reflector, and a beam splitter. The optical assembly is configurable to transmit a portion of the diffused image light at a first optical power via an optical path including reflections at the reflector and at the beam splitter and to transmit a portion of the ambient light output from the front surface of the display at a second optical power without reflection at the reflector. The second optical power is less than the first optical power.

Abstract: The present application provides a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor includes an array of a plurality of optical fibers. Each of the plurality of optical fibers has a first end and second end opposite to the first end. Each of the plurality of optical fibers is configured to allow an incident light to enter into the second end and an exit light to exit from the second end. Each of the plurality of optical fibers includes a fiber core; a fiber Bragg grating in the fiber core; and a reflective film on the first end.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming a mm wave resonant filter include a lithographically fabricated high Q resonant structure. The resonant structure may include a plurality of cavities, each cavity having a characteristic frequency that defines its passband. A filter may include a plurality of resonant structures, and each resonant structure may include a plurality of cavities. These cavities and filters may be fabricated lithographically.

Abstract: A near-eye display system includes a transmissive display panel to display a near-eye light field frame comprising an array of elemental images. The transmissive display panel is configured to transmit light rays of the near-eye light field frame away from the user's eye and towards an array of curved beam splitters. The curved beam splitters collimate the transmitted light rays and reflect the collimated light rays back towards the transmissive display panel for passing to the user's eye.

Abstract: An illumination source apparatus (500), suitable for use in a metrology apparatus for the characterization of a structure on a substrate, the illumination source apparatus comprising: a high harmonic generation, HHG, medium (502); a pump radiation source (506) operable to emit a beam of pump radiation (508); and adjustable transformation optics (510) configured to adjustably transform the transverse spatial profile of the beam of pump radiation to produce a transformed beam (518) such that relative to the centre axis of the transformed beam, a central region of the transformed beam has substantially zero intensity and an outer region which is radially outwards from the centre axis of the transformed beam has a non-zero intensity, wherein the transformed beam is arranged to excite the HHG medium so as to generate high harmonic radiation (540), wherein the location of said outer region is dependent on an adjustment setting of the adjustable transformation optics.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that relate to an optical system including an image sensor optically-coupled to at least one nanophotonic element. The image sensor may include a plurality of superpixels. Each respective superpixel of the plurality of superpixels may include at least a respective first pixel and a respective second pixel. The at least one nanophotonic element may have an optical phase transfer function and may include a two-dimensional arrangement of sub-wavelength regions of a first material interspersed within a second material, the first material having a first index of refraction and the second material having a second index of refraction. The nanophotonic element is configured to direct light toward individual superpixels in the plurality of superpixels, and to direct light toward the first or second pixel in each individual superpixel based on a wavelength dependence or a polarization dependence of the optical phase transfer function.

Abstract: Systems and methods for hyperspectral and multispectral imaging are disclosed. A system includes a lens and an imaging device having a plurality of pixel sensors. A focus corrector is located within the optical path to refract at least a portion of the incoming light and change the focusing distance of specific wavelengths of light to converge at a focal plane. The focal corrector is selected based upon the imaging system to reduce an overall measure of deviation between a focal length curve for the lens and a focus position curve for pixel sensors to produce focused imaging data for a broad spectrum of light, including beyond the visible range.

Abstract: The laser cavity is positioned on a substrate and includes a cavity waveguide guiding a laser light signal between a gain medium and a partial return device. The partial return device receives the laser light signal from the cavity waveguide and returns a first portion of the laser light signal to the cavity waveguide. The partial return device transmits a second portion of the laser light signal to an output waveguide. The partial return device reflects different wavelengths of the laser light signal at different intensities. Additionally, the partial return device is configured such that when the most intense wavelength of the laser light signal reflected by the partial return device is the same as a wavelength of one of modes of the laser light signal, the mode with the next longest wavelength and the mode with the next shortest wavelength are each reflected by the partial return device at an intensity greater than 80% of the intensity of the most intensely reflected wavelength.

Abstract: A substrate is composed of a first material. A photonic structure is composed of the first material connected to one or more support structures composed of the first material between the photonic structure and a surface of the substrate, with at least one of the support structures supporting a first section of a strip of the photonic structure. The first section has a width that is wider than a width of a second section of the strip and has a length that is at least about twice the width of the second section of the strip.

Abstract: A reflective modulator comprises a coupler, two diodes and two DC block units. The coupler has an input end used to output an output signal, an output end used to output an output signal, a first load end connected to one of the diodes and a second load end connected to another one of the diodes. The DC block units connect between the diodes and the coupler for DC blocking. A message signal is selectively inputted to both of the two DC block units for operating the state of the two diodes. A BPSK modulator using the reflective modulator and a quadrature modulator using the BPSK modulator are also introduced.

Abstract: Pointing and positioning system of light beams and images including a plurality of cycloidal diffractive waveplates, each waveplate capable of deviating a generally broadband light beam over a predetermined angle. The lateral translation and deviation angles of the light beams are controlled by controlling the relative distance, rotational position, and the diffraction efficiency of at least one in the plurality of waveplates.

Abstract: An optical combiner includes an off-axis spatially multiplexed lens optically coupled to receive image light and direct the image light in an eye-ward direction. The off-axis spatially multiplexed lens includes a first sub-lens multiplexed with a second sub-lens. The first sub-lens and the sub-lens are configured to direct the image light to designated eyeward-regions.

Abstract: A focusing device includes a substrate and a plurality of scatterers provided at both sides of the substrate. The scatterers on the both sides of the focusing device may correct geometric aberration, and thus, a field of view (FOV) of the focusing device may be widened.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting orbital angular momentum eigenstates of one or more photons includes at least one transformation PBOE configured to sort orbital angular momentum eigenstates of the one or more photons, at least one phase correction PBOE configured to sort spin angular momentum eigenstates of the one or more photons. A method for sorting orbital angular momentum eigenstates of one or more photons includes using at least one transformation PBOE to sort orbital angular momentum eigenstates of the one or more photons, and using at least one phase correction PBOE to sort spin angular momentum eigenstates of the one or more photons.

Abstract: A diffraction grating comprises a liquid crystal (LC) cell configured to apply an electric field through a cholesteric LC material that induces the cholesteric LC material into a heliconical state with an oblique helicoid director. The applied electric field produces diffracted light from the cholesteric LC material within the visible, infrared or ultraviolet. The axis of the heliconical state is in the plane of the liquid crystal cell or perpendicular to the plane, depending on the application. A color tuning device operates with a similar heliconical state liquid crystal material but with the heliconical director axis oriented perpendicular to the plane of the cell. A power generator varies the strength of the applied electric field to adjust the wavelength of light reflected from the cholesteric liquid crystal material within the visible, infrared or ultraviolet.

Abstract: A diffractive MEMS device has an in-plane binary reflective diffraction pattern formed in an outer surface of a tiltable platform. The binary reflective diffraction pattern includes rectangular or trapezoidal ridges and valleys, or grooves, of a same depth. The binary reflective diffractive pattern has a high diffraction efficiency even though the surfaces of the “grooves” or “ridges” are not perpendicular to the incoming optical beam. The diffractive pattern is supported by a pair of torsional hinges and is tiltable by an electrostatic actuator. The electrostatic actuator can include at least one side electrode for linearization of dependence of tilt angle on the voltage applied to the actuator.

Abstract: An optical coupling system and method of fabrication are included. The optical coupling system includes a substrate layer and an optical waveguide material overlying the substrate layer. The optical waveguide material can include a grating. The system also includes a cover material overlying the optical waveguide material to couple an optical signal to the optical waveguide material via the grating at a coupling angle. Approximately zero energy of the coupled optical signal is lost in the substrate layer due to a combination of the coupling angle and a difference in refractive indices between the cover material and the substrate layer.

Abstract: An optical combiner includes an off-axis spatially multiplexed lens optically coupled to receive image light and direct the image light in an eye-ward direction. The off-axis spatially multiplexed lens includes a first sub-lens multiplexed with a second sub-lens. The first sub-lens and the sub-lens are configured to direct the image light to designated eyeward-regions.

Abstract: A light emitting diode device is described which includes at least one planar non-periodic high-index-contrast grating. The light emitting diode device includes a cavity formed between a reflective optical element and a transmissive optical element. One or both of the optical elements can be a planar non-periodic high-index-contrast grating. The transmissive optical element can be a collimating lens used to collimate incident beams of light while the reflective optical element can be a parabolic reflector used to reflect incident beams of light along a direction opposite to an incidence direction. A light emitter can be disposed within the cavity and can emit beams of light.

Abstract: A three-dimensional circuit includes a hyperbolic bicontinuous structure forming a substrate; circuits formed on a first surface of the hyperbolic bicontinuous structure; and electrically conductive traces formed between the circuits. The electrically conductive traces are formed two-dimensionally on the first surface of the hyperbolic bicontinuous structure. The electrically conductive traces are effectively three-dimensional traces between the circuits.

Abstract: A method, system or device for configuring an optical coupling device including obtaining characteristics of an optical signal and ambient conditions for storage in memory, utilizing a processor for identifying an optimum effective subwavelength area refractive index and a grating period for the input signal and ambient characteristics stored in memory, and utilizing the processor for identifying a preferred filling factor for a transverse polarization.

Abstract: A bearing comprises a Bragg grated optical fiber to measure one or more parameters of the bearing. The optical fiber is coupled to the bearing in such a way that at least a part of the optical fiber that comprises Bragg grating is curved. The grating which is curved is adapted to the curvature in such a way that the frequency response is well defined and not spread out. This is achieved by arranging the gratings such that even though the fiber is curved the gratings appear to be substantially parallel instead of being influenced by the curvature.

Abstract: A light switch (or valve) made up of two mutually inverted, substantially identical diffraction gratings with a liquid medium therebetween, arranged to allow the grating substrates to be shifted laterally relative to one another so as to align and mis-align the grating elements. When aligned, incident-polarized light passes through the switch and when misaligned, light does not pass through the switch but is reflected.

Abstract: A projection display 210 arranged to display an image to an observer 212 use waveguide techniques to generate a display defining a large exit pupil at the point of the observer 212 and a large field of view, while using a small image-providing light source device. The projection display 210 uses two parallel waveguides 214, 216 made from a light transmissive material. One waveguide 214 stretches the horizontal pupil of the final display and the other waveguide 216 stretches the vertical pupil of the final display and acts as a combiner through which the observer 212 views an outside world scene 220 and the image overlaid on the scene 220. In a color display, each primary color is transmitted within a separate channel R, G, B.

Abstract: An active optical device includes a substrate; a plurality of refractive index variable regions formed on the substrate; and a voltage applier which applies an electric field to the plurality of refractive index variable regions.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is providing optical systems for controlling with propagation of light beams in lateral and angular space, and through optical apertures. Said light beams include laser beams as well as beams with wide spectrum of wavelengths and large divergence angles. Said optical systems are based on combination of diffractive waveplates with diffractive properties that can be controlled with the aid of external stimuli such as electrical fields, temperature, optical beams and mechanical means.

Abstract: An apparatus for dynamically varying an optical characteristic of a light beam includes an optical element configured to receive a beam of light. The optical element includes at least one sub-wavelength grating formed of a plurality of lines. The apparatus includes at least one actuator connected to at least one component of the optical element and a controller for controlling the at least one actuator to dynamically vary a characteristic of the beam of light that is at least one of emitted through and reflected from the optical element.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical device, including a light-transmissive substrate, and a pair of different, parallel gratings including a first grating and second grating, located on the substrate at a constant distance from each other, each of the pair of parallel gratings including at least one sequence of a plurality of parallel lines, wherein the spacings between the lines gradually increase from one edge of the grating up to a maximum distance between the lines, and wherein the arrangement of lines in the second grating is in the same direction as that of the first grating. A system utilizing a plurality of such optical devices is also disclosed.

Abstract: A molded part prepared by a mold transfer method using a die, including a surface which includes a slope, wherein a direction of a normal line of the slope is different from a die releasing direction; and a pattern which is formed on the surface and which includes grooves located on a portion of the slope so as to extend along the slope in the slanting direction of the slope. An optical element, which has an anti reflection function, including the molded part mentioned above, wherein the interval between two adjacent grooves is not greater than the wavelength of light irradiating the optical element. An optical device including a light source configured to emit light; and the optical element mentioned above which processes the light emitted by the light source.

Abstract: There is provided a colour sequential illumination device comprising in series: first and second light sources; a condenser lens; and a grating device. The grating device comprises at least one Bragg grating. The condenser lens directs light from the first and second sources into the grating device at first and second incidence angles respectively. The grating device diffracts light from the first and second sources into a common direction. Desirably, the Bragg gratings are Electrically Switchable Bragg Gratings. In one embodiment of the invention the light sources are Light Emitting Diodes. Alternatively lasers may be used.

Abstract: An element includes a first resin layer and a second resin layer disposed between a first glass lens substrate and a second glass lens substrate, a boundary surface between the first resin layer and the second resin layer having a diffraction grating shape including a plurality of inclined surfaces and wall surfaces. The second resin layer is composed of a fluororesin in which fine metal oxide particles are dispersed. Since a refractive index distribution easily occurs in this material during curing by application of ultraviolet light, by applying ultraviolet light substantially perpendicular to the inclined surfaces of the diffraction grating shape, a refractive index distribution is formed in the thickness direction perpendicularly to the inclined surfaces.

Abstract: A diffractive light outcoupling unit for forming a part of a directive light outcoupling system of a lighting device including a plurality of diffractive outcoupling units. The diffractive light outcoupling units each include a carrier element for accommodating a diffractive surface relief pattern, and a diffractive surface relief pattern including a plurality of consecutive diffractive surface relief forms defined on a surface area of the carrier element arranged to couple light incident on the diffractive surface relief pattern outside the carrier element via interaction involving at least two surface relief forms of the plurality of surface relief forms of the diffractive surface relief pattern so as to enhance the directivity of the coupled light. A diffractive light outcoupling system includes a plurality of diffractive light outcoupling units. A lightguide includes the outcoupling system.

Abstract: A device that provides light beam switching, agile steering of the light beam over a range of angles, and generation of arbitrary wavefront shapes with high spatial and temporal resolution. The agile device can include a volume diffractive structure comprising Bragg planes having one refractive index and the Bragg planes separated by regions containing an active optical medium. Electrodes (which may be the Bragg planes themselves, or may be arrayed adjacent to the active optical medium) are used to control the electric field intensity and direction across the structure, and thereby control the diffraction efficiency of the structure and the local phase delay imposed on a diffracted wavefront. Means are provided for addressing the many thousands of electrodes required for precise and rapid wavefront control. Applications include free-space atmospheric optical communications, near-eye displays, direct-view 3D displays, optical switching, and a host of other applications.

Abstract: A “Stacked-Grating Light Modulator” (“SGLM”) comprises two diffraction grating elements, a reflection grating and a transmission grating, in close parallel proximity. An incident beam transmits through the transmission grating and is reflected by the reflection grating back through the transmission grating. The relative lateral position of the two gratings is varied to modulate the beam's zero-order reflectance.

Abstract: A light modulator includes a light guide to guide light, a diffraction grating at a surface of the light guide, and a fluid having a refractive index substantially matched to a refractive index of the diffraction grating. The diffraction grating is to couple out a portion of guided light from the light guide using diffractive coupling. The index-matched fluid is to be selectively moved both into contact with the diffractive grating to defeat the diffractive coupling and out of contact with the diffraction grating to facilitate the diffractive coupling to modulate the coupled out guided light.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element has higher diffraction efficiency of diffracted light of a designed order in a visible wavelength range. The diffractive optical element includes a diffraction grating part provided on a lens surface of an optical system and constituted by laminating first and second diffraction gratings made of two different materials. Each of the first and second diffraction gratings includes a grating surface and a grating wall surface. The grating surfaces of the first and second diffraction gratings are in contact with each other. The diffraction grating part has the designed order of at least +2nd order and has a grating height of at least 6 ?m.

Abstract: In embodiments of waveguide optics focus elements, an imaging structure includes a waveguide for viewing of an environment that is viewable with the imaging structure. The waveguide transmits light of a virtual image that is generated to appear as part of the environment for augmented-reality imaging or virtual-reality imaging. The imaging structure also includes one or more focus elements that are integrated in the waveguide and switchable to focus the virtual image at a focus depth that approximately correlates to a focal distance of the environment. The focus elements can each be implemented for a different focus depth of the virtual image, and the focus depth is adjustable based on a combination of the focus elements being switched-on or switched-off.

Abstract: A refraction at a suitably structured surface for example with an arrangement of the same between image plane and mapping optics is used to realize on the one hand a desired aliasing filtering or spatial low-pass filtering on the image plane wherein on the other hand the manufacturing of such structured surfaces may be realized in a cost-effective way. In addition to that, the plate thickness except for the amplitude of the surface structure and aspects of the stability of the plate is of no importance for handling the same, so that the integration into optical systems is facilitated.

Abstract: An optically variable device and method of manufacturing the device is disclosed, the device including a plurality of zero-order diffraction grating elements some of which are modulated such that a coloured at least partially polarised image is visible to a person viewing the device, observing a first optically variable effect when the device is rotated about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane, and a second optically variable effect when the device is viewed under polarised light and rotated about an axis substantially perpendicular to or parallel with the plane. The device is particularly suitable for security documents such as bank notes. Preferably, the first optically variable effect is produced by a change in brightness and/or colour of the grating elements and the second optically variable effect may likewise be produced by a change in brightness and/or colour of the grating elements.

Abstract: A dynamic optical crossbar array includes a first set of parallel transparent electrode lines, a bottom set of parallel electrode lines that cross said transparent electrode lines, and an optically variable material disposed between said first set of transparent electrode lines and said bottom set of electrode lines.