Abstract: An optical system used in an optical apparatus is configured to include a first lens group having positive refractive power, a focusing group that moves along an optical axis at focusing, and a rear group, in order from an object side, so that the first lens group includes a first-A lens group disposed on the object side of the largest air space A in the first lens group, and that all of the following conditional expressions are satisfied: 1.00<FNo×(TL/f)2<2.50 and 0.30<dA/dG1<0.85 where FNo is the f-number of the optical system focusing on infinity, TL is the total optical length of the optical system focusing on infinity, f is the focal length of the optical system focusing on infinity, dA is the length on the optical axis of the air space A, and dG1 is the length on the optical axis of the first lens group.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system which comprises, in order from an object side, a first lens group having negative refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power and a third lens group; upon varying magnification, distances between the neighboring respective lens groups being varied; upon focusing, the first lens group and the second lens group being moved along the optical axis; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, whereby the variable magnification optical system is made in small in size, and can correct superbly various aberrations.

Abstract: An optical system and an optical apparatus that have favorable imaging performance and a method for manufacturing the optical system are provided. An optical system OL includes, sequentially from an object side, a front group G1 having positive refractive power and a focusing group G2 that performs focusing by moving in an optical axis direction, the front group G1 includes, sequentially from the object side, a first lens L11, a second lens L12, and a third lens L13, and the optical system OL satisfies a condition expressed by an expression below, 0.10<D23/f1<0.75 in the expression, f1: focal length of the front group G1, and D23: distance on an optical axis between the second lens L12 and the third lens L13.

Abstract: A zoom optical system (ZL), comprises, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having a positive refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having a negative refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens group (G4) having a positive refractive power; a fifth lens group (G5); and a sixth lens group (G6). In the zoom optical system, upon zooming, a distance between the adjacent lens groups changes. The zoom optical system satisfies the following conditional expression. 1.00<Mv4/Mv3<3.00 where Mv3: an amount of movement of the third lens group upon zooming from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state (a sign of the amount of movement toward an object is shown as +), and Mv4: an amount of movement of the fourth lens group upon zooming from the wide angle end state to the telephoto end state (the sign of the amount of movement toward an object is shown as +).

Abstract: An optical system used in an optical apparatus, such as a camera 1, is configured to include a plurality of lens groups such that at focusing the distances between the lens groups are varied, that a final lens group disposed closest to an image side of the lens groups includes at least one lens surface having a pole, and that all of the following conditional expressions are satisfied: 0.020<Y/f<0.120??(1) 0.010<Bf/TL<0.150??(2) where Y is image height, f is the focal length of the optical system, TL is the total optical length of the optical system, and Bf is the back focus of the optical system.

Abstract: Comprising, in order from an object side: a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having positive refractive power, and a fifth lens group having negative refractive power; upon varying a magnification, the first lens group being fixed with respect to the image plane, and each distance between the neighboring lens groups being varied; upon focusing, at least a portion of the fourth lens group being moved; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby variations in various aberrations upon varying magnification being superbly suppressed.

Abstract: The problems of high costs and lack of flexibility in microelectrode arrays (MEAs) is addressed by the inexpensive flexible MEA systems and methods for manufacturing them presented herein. The MEA systems described herein are generally formed from a flexible substrate such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The flexible substrate generally comprises a series of wells and channels patterned therein. The wells and channels are filled with a conductive flexible material such as a mixture of PDMS and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form sets of microelectrodes, microelectrode leads, and contact pads therein. The resulting MEA systems may be substantially more flexible and less expensive than prior MEA systems. The MEA systems presented herein may be manufactured using a variety of soft lithography techniques described herein.

Abstract: An optical system (OL) formed from a preceding lens group (GA) having a negative refractive power, and a succeeding lens group (GB) having a positive refractive power, the lens groups being arranged in order from the object side along the optical axis. The succeeding lens group (GB) has: a focusing group (GF) having a positive refractive power, the focusing group (GF) being positioned furthest toward the object side of the succeeding lens group (GB); and an image-side group (GC) positioned further toward the image side than the focusing group (GF). During focusing from an infinitely distant object to a short-distance object, the focusing group (GF) moves toward the image side along the optical axis and satisfies the following conditional expression. 0.78<fB/fC<1.00 In this conditional expression, fB is the focal distance of the succeeding lens group GB, and fC is the focal distance of the image-side group GC.

Abstract: Collection reflectors with multiple reflector elements defined on a curved surface are used to collect EUV optical radiation from an EUV emitting area. Each of the reflector elements can image the emitting area at or near a corresponding reflective element of a second multi-element reflector that overlaps radiation from each of the multiple reflector element of the collection reflector to illuminate a grating reticle. Systems with such a collection reflector can use fewer optical elements. In addition, grating reticles are defined on a curve substrate an include a plurality of grating phase steps so that the grating reticle provides phase curvature along two axes but with physical curvature along a single axis. Methods of producing varying duty cycle 1D patterns are also disclosed.

Abstract: A zoom optical system (ZL) comprises, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having a positive refractive power; and a second lens group (G2) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, a distance between the adjacent lens groups changes. The zoom optical system further comprises an aperture stop (S) disposed closer to an image than the second lens group (G2, and satisfies the following conditional expression: 0.10<Df/Dr<0.90 where Df: a distance to the aperture stop from a lens surface of the zoom optical system closest to an object in a wide angle end state, and Dr: a distance from the aperture stop to a lens surface of the zoom optical system closest to the image in the wide angle end state.

Abstract: The problem of non-ideal layer geometry in 3D printing processes is addressed by systems and methods that employ laser triangulation measurements in the vicinity of the melt pool. The systems and methods generally direct one or more lasers at one or more locations along or perpendicular to a direction of travel of a 3D printing energy source. The one or more lasers are reflected from the one or more locations and received by an optical detector, which generates one or more signals in response to receiving the one or more reflected lasers. The signals are received by a controller, which determines one or more heights of the surfaces at the one or more locations based on the one or more signals. The lasers are scanned across a layer of a 3D printed part to obtain the height of the surface across the layer.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system comprising a plurality of lens groups which includes a first positive lens group disposed at a most object side and having positive refractive power, a first negative lens group disposed at an image side of the first positive lens group and having negative refractive power, and a second negative lens group disposed at a more image side than the first negative lens group and having negative refractive power; upon varying a magnification, distances between adjacent lens groups being varied; the first negative lens group being movable to include a component in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis as a vibration reduction lens group; the second negative lens group being moved along the optical axis upon carrying out focusing; and the first negative lens group further including a lens that satisfies predetermined conditional expression(s), thereby various aberrations being corrected superbly, and vibration reduction lens group being made small in size.

Abstract: This optical system (LS) has an aperture diaphragm (S) and a negative lens (L4) disposed closer to an object side than the aperture diaphragm (S) and satisfies the following conditional expression. ?0.010<ndN1?(2.015?0.0068×?dN1), 50.00<?dN1<65.00, 0.545<?gFN1, ?0.010<?gFN1?(0.6418?0.00168×?dN1). Where, ndN1 is a refractive index of the negative lens with respect to a d-line, ?dN1 is an Abbe number of the negative lens based on the d-line, and ?gFN1 is a partial dispersion ratio of the negative lens.

Abstract: An optical system comprises, in order from an object side, a front group GF having positive refractive power, an aperture stop S and a rear group GR. The front group FR comprises a front focusing group GFF having positive refractive power, and the rear group GR comprises a rear focusing group GRF having positive refractive power, upon focusing the front focusing group GFF and the rear focusing group GRF being moved toward the object side, and a predetermined condition being satisfied. Thus, an optical system having a superb optical performance, an optical equipment equipped therewith and a manufacturing method for the optical system are provided.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system has, in order from an object side: a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; an aperture stop; a third lens group having positive refractive power; and a rear lens group. Upon zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, at least the rear lens group is moved toward the object side, and distances between the lens groups are varied. Upon focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object, the third lens group is moved along the optical axis. At least a portion of the rear lens group constitutes a vibration reduction lens group having negative refractive power and moveable perpendicular to the optical axis. An optical apparatus and a method of manufacture are also provided.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a rear lens group having positive refractive power; upon varying a magnification, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group being varied, a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group being varied, and a distance between the third lens group and the rear lens group being varied; the rear lens group comprising a focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby various aberrations being corrected superbly.

Abstract: 3D metrology techniques are disclosed for determining a changing topography of a substrate processed in an additive manufacturing system. Techniques include fringe scanning, simultaneous fringe projections, interferometry, and x-ray imaging. The techniques can be applied to 3D printing systems to enable rapid topographical measurements of a 3D printer powder bed, or other rapidly moving, nearly continuous surface to be tested. The techniques act in parallel to the system being measured to provide information about system operation and the topography of the product being processed. A tool is provided for achieving higher precision, increasing throughput, and reducing the cost of operation through early detection and diagnosis of operating problems and printing defects. These techniques work well with any powder bed 3D printing system, providing real-time metrology of the powder bed, the most recently printed layer, or both without reducing throughput.

Abstract: A method of controlling vibration of a structural element of an exposure apparatus includes receiving data of a position of the structural element, determining a position error signal based at least in part on the position data and a specified position of the structural element, determining a force command to damp a specified vibration mode frequency of the structural element based at least in part on the position error signal and the specified vibration mode frequency, and transmitting the force command to an actuator such that the actuator applies force to the structural element and damps vibration of the structural element at least at the specified vibration mode frequency of the structural element.

Abstract: A zoom optical system comprises, in order from an object: a front lens group (GFS) having a positive refractive power; an M1 lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power; an M2 lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power; and an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, distances between the front lens group and the M1 lens group, between the M1 lens group and the M2 lens group, and between the M2 lens group and the RN lens group change, upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group moves, the RN lens group comprises at least one lens having a positive refractive power, and at least one lens having a negative refractive power, and following conditional expressions are satisfied, 2.70<fFP/(?fFN)<4.50, 0.25<(?fF)/f1<0.