Abstract: A microchemical system is provided, which can improve the working efficiency of the user and can be designed compact in size. The microchemical system is provided with an optical fiber 10 with a gradient index rod lens 102 mounted on an end thereof. The lens-possessing optical fiber 10 is comprised of an optical fiber 101 that transmits exciting light and detecting light in the single mode, and a ferrule 103 for expanding the outer diameter of the optical fiber 101 to the same value as that of the gradient index rod lens 102. The gradient index rod lens 102 and the optical fiber 101 are rigidly joined together by means of a sleeve 104.

Abstract: A method for partially treating a water-repellent glass sheet is disclosed which comprises irradiating part of a water-repellent glass film, formed on the water-repellent glass sheet, with a stream of plasma jets generated by a plasma jet irradiating gun. By such plasma jet irradiation, the film part can be removed easily even when the glass sheet has a curved surface. A water-repellent glass sheet with the film part removed is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a laser processing method for accurately forming a convexo-concave structure on the surface of a glass substrate, a periodic optical intensity distribution of a laser beam is obtained by an interference between diffracted light beams of +1 degree and ?1 degree emitted from a phase mask, onto which the laser beam is irradiated, in the vicinity of the emission side of the phase mask, and a glass substrate, on which a thin film is formed, is set in the area where the periodic optical intensity distribution is provided. As a result, the thin film is evaporated or ablated depending on the periodic optical intensity, thereby a diffraction grating, which has the same period as that of the varying optical intensity, is formed on the glass substrate.

Abstract: A low reflection film comprising silica fine particles and a binder in a weight ratio proportion of 60:40 to 95:5 is obtained by mixing starting fine particles comprising at least non-aggregated silica fine particles with a mean particle size of 40-1000 nm and/or linear (chain-like) aggregated silica fine particles with a mean primary particle size of 10-100 nm, a hydrolyzable metal compound, water, and a solvent, hydrolyzing the hydrolyzable metal compound in the presence of the starting fine particles, and then coating the prepared coating solution onto a glass base substrate and subjecting it to heat treatment. The obtained low reflection film is a single-layer low reflection film with low reflectivity, excellent abrasion resistance, high film strength and excellent contamination removal property, and coating of the low reflection film onto glass base substrates can give low reflection glass articles.

Abstract: A luminescent-film-coated product includes a substrate, a first layer of a transparent resin matrix containing a phosphorescent material and/or a fluorescent material, and a second layer of a transparent resin matrix containing a shiny pigment made of glass flakes coated with a high-refractive-index metal oxide. Another luminescent-film-coated product includes a substrate and a layer of a transparent resin matrix containing a phosphorescent material and/or a fluorescent material and a shiny pigment. Another luminescent-film-coated product includes a substrate, a first layer of a transparent resin matrix containing a shiny pigment made of glass flakes coated with silver, gold, nickel, or a high-refractive-index metal oxide, and a second layer of a transparent resin matrix containing a phosphorescent material and/or a fluorescent material, in which the shiny pigment has a maximum visible light reflectance of 30% or more.

Abstract: A method of measuring a radial index distribution of a rod lens has the steps: (1) the rod lens is processed so that the length is approximately P/2 (where P is pitch length) or an integer multiple thereof and so end surfaces parallel, (2) a patterned surface is set as an object surface in the proximity of one end surface, and an image surface is formed in the proximity of the other end surface by irradiating the patterned surface with condensed monochromatic light, (3) the positions of paraxial focal points and the curves of curvature of field are obtained by observing the image surface, and (4) higher-order index distribution coefficients are calculated back by a fitting process on the basis of the positions of paraxial focal points and the curves of curvature of field.

Abstract: A line-illuminating device comprises a white casing, a bar-shaped light guide housed within the casing, and light-emitting units provided on opposite ends of the bar-shaped light guide. The light-emitting unit has a substrate forming a circuit on which a lead wire for power supply is installed. Formed on a surface of the substrate facing the bar-shaped light guide is a window for coupling in which a green-color light-emitting diode and a blue-color light-emitting diode are installed. Likewise, the light-emitting unit has a substrate on which a lead wire for power supply is installed. Formed on a surface of the substrate facing the bar-shaped light guide is a window for coupling in which two red-color light-emitting diodes are installed.

Abstract: There are provided a method of processing an amorphous material which is capable of forming surface projections of uniform height in desired positions on the amorphous material, and a magnetic disk substrate using the amorphous material. A predetermined pressure is applied to parts of a surface of an amorphous material to form high-density compressed layers, and a surface layer of the amorphous material is removed using a treatment agent that has a different removal capacity in the compressed layers and a remaining uncompressed layer, thus making the compressed layers project out. For example, the treatment agent may be an etching solution having a different etching rate in the compressed layers and the uncompressed layer.

Abstract: An optical element according to the invention uses a thin film-like two-dimensional photonic crystal having a structure of periodic repetition in two directions perpendicular to each other. When the two periodic directions are Y-axis and Z-axis directions, opposite surfaces of the photonic crystal structure perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and parallel to the Y-axis direction are used as a light input surface and a light output surface respectively. The direction of movement of light rays incident onto the light input surface is decided so that it is parallel to the YZ plane and inclined at a predetermined inclination angle to the Z-axis direction.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of designing a collimator array device which enables reduction of the insertion loss because of the variation of the optical length. When the beam waist is positioned at the intermediate position between the emitting side planar microlens and the receiving side planar microlens (d1=L/2), the distance d0 between the emitting side fiber array and the emitting side planar microlens can be used as the distance between the receiving side fiber array and the receiving side planar microlens, and thereby the design of the collimator array device can be simplified. The distance d0 for satisfying d1=L/2 is calculated and two values d0-2 and d0-4 are obtained. By selecting the smaller value d0-2, it is possible to reduce the insertion loss because of the shift at the time of coupling.

Abstract: There is provided an EL device which has sufficient strength to external pressure and is capable of effectively preventing moisture and oxygen from infiltrating into the EL device, thereby having a prolonged life. An organic EL device 200 is comprised of a substrate 1, an organic EL multilayer film 2 that is formed on the substrate 1, and a sealing plate 31 that is bonded onto the substrate 1 using an adhesive 4 so as to cover the organic EL multilayer film 2. The sealing plate 31 is of a flangeless type, wherein the width of peripheral projecting parts thereof is not less than the thickness at these peripheral projecting parts, and moreover is not less than 0.7 mm.

Abstract: Two lenses are used for forming a collimator parallel pair, in which the distance between the two lenses is substantially made coincident with the maximum distance allowing beam waists to be formed at equal distances from the two lenses respectively.

Abstract: An optical module 31 is provided in which a wavelength division element 32 such as an optical multi-layer film or diffraction grating is united between the sides of lens blocks 3 of optical module units 1 and 6 opposed to optical fiber blocks 2. Only light with a wavelength ?i among light (wavelength components: ?1, ?2 . . . ?n) from an optical fiber 41 is transmitted through the wavelength division element 32 and enters an optical fiber 42 of the optical module unit 6. On the other hand, the light (wavelength components: ?1, ?2 . . . ?n??i) reflected at the wavelength division element 32 is taken out of an optical fiber 43 of the optical module unit 1.

Abstract: A thin-film structure includes plate-shaped metals or plate-shaped structures in which a plate-shaped metal and a plate-shaped dielectric are in contact. The plate-shaped metal or structures are formed on a transparent base having a surface with line-shaped corrugated structures. The plate-shaped metals or structures are perpendicular to or oblique to the surface of the base. The thin-film structure has characteristics suitable for polarizers used in liquid crystal projectors and the like.

Abstract: A waveguide type liquid-crystal optical switch including: an optical waveguide having a pair of first and second cores close to each other for switching an optical path between the pair of first and second cores; a third core made of nematic liquid crystal enclosed in between a pair of oriented films and oriented in a predetermined direction by the pair of oriented films, the third core being disposed in any one of a space covering the first and second cores in parallel with a plane containing optical axes of the first and second cores, a space sandwiched between the first and second cores and a space covering upper surfaces of the first and second cores so as to be laid over the first and second cores; a first electrode disposed on a surface of the third core opposite to the first and second cores so as to cover a gap portion between the first and second cores; second and third electrodes disposed as a pair, between which electrodes the first electrode is put, the second and third electrodes provided for ori

Abstract: A light-emitting unit 20 has a light-emitting unit board 21 made of resin provided with a lead frame 22. The light-emitting unit board 21 is also provided with an open window 21a for mounting a light-emitting device. The lead frame 22 comprises a lead terminal section 22a, an inner lead section 22c, and a light-emitting device mounting and connecting section 22b which is exposed within the open window 21a. The light-emitting devices 23a, 23b, and 23c are bonded with the light-emitting device mounting and connecting section 22b, and electrodes of the light-emitting devices and the lead frame are connected by a metal wire 24, wherein the open window 21a is sealed by transparent resin. The lead frame 22 is made of iron-containing copper to improve heat radiation performance of the light-emitting unit board. By increasing maximum current to be supplied to the light-emitting diodes, it is possible to increase illumination brightness and to attain speedup of image reading.

Abstract: A micro prismatic structure is formed inside the light transmission face of a gradient-index lens, in which the projections have a height of at least 0.25 ? and the distance between the neighboring projections is at most ?, based on the applied wavelength ?. Preferably, the micro prismatic structure has conical projection units that are aligned in the light transmission face of the lens in a mode of hexagonal, tetragonal or orthorhombic arrangement. The conical projections may be in any form of circular cones, polygonal cones, flat-headed circular cones (circular cones of which the apex has been cut horizontally) or flat-headed polygonal cones .

Abstract: An optical fiber collimator using a gradient index rod lens for securing a required long opposing distance and easy handling. The collimator includes a single mode fiber and a gradient index rod lens for receiving an incident light from the single mode fiber and converting the incident light into a collimated light, or condensing an incident light and coupling the condensed incident light to the single mode fiber. A meandering period (pitch) of a ray determined by a refractive index distribution of the rod lens is decided. The gradient index rod lens has a lens length larger by 0.5 meandering periods than a minimum lens length required to obtain a predetermined opposing distance between a pair of the rod lenses.

Abstract: Flaky particles suitable for a filler having high durability and high weatherability which absorbs reduced amount of visible light and effectively scatters visible light are provided. By using the flaky particles to be contained, a cosmetic or the like capable of giving good usability such as spreading well on the skin, exhibiting bright and clear appearance for long period is provided. The flaky particles comprise mother particles of metallic oxide of low refractive index and microparticles of metallic oxide of high refractive index having a mean particle size of 160-450 nm dispersed inside the mother particles in an amount of 5-50% by weight, wherein the flaky particles have a light diffusion degree of 80 or more. The flaky particles preferably have a mean particle size of 5-500 ?m, a mean thickness of 0.1-5 ?m, and a mean aspect ratio of 5-300.

Abstract: There is provided an EL device sealing plate for which a drop in transparency is suppressed. An organic EL device 200 is comprised of a substrate 10, an organic EL layered body 20 that is formed on the substrate 10, and a sealing plate 30 that has been formed into a recessed shape so as to cover the organic EL layered body 20. The sealing plate 30 exhibits a parallel transmittance of not less than 91.5% and a haze of not more than 0.5%.