Abstract: There is provided a hologram with excellent heat resistance. The hologram comprises a hologram film (10) in which a diffraction grating has been recorder, a substrated (11) situated on one side of the hologram film (10) via a bonding material (13), and a polymer film (12) situated on the other side of the hologram film (10) via a bonding material (13), wherein the thickness of the polymer film (12) is no greater than 100 &mgr;m. Otherwise, the polymer film (12) is subjected to prior heat treatment. There is further provided a production process for holograms with minimal appearance defects.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to microscopes having specific control of the light that contacts a sample and/or a light detector, such as the eye of the user, a charge couple device or a video camera. The improved control includes enhanced, selective control of the angle of illumination, quantity of light and location of light reaching the sample and/or detector. The microscopes comprise one or more spatial light modulators in the illumination and/or detection light path of the microscope at one or both of the conjugate image plane of the aperture diaphragm of the objective lens and the conjugate image plane of the sample.

Abstract: A polarizing optical system comprising: at least, polarizing characteristic imparting means for imparting a polarizing characteristic to light emitted from a light source; analyzer means for converting the polarizing characteristic into light intensity information; and output means for outputting the light intensity information; at least one element constituting the polarizing characteristic imparting means comprising an optical glass having a photoelastic constant C in the range of substantially zero with respect to a wavelength range of 0.4 .mu.m to 3.0 .mu.m. The optical glass has a photoelastic constant C in the range of -0.8 to +0.8 (10.sup.-8 cm.sup.2 /N) with respect to a wavelength range of 0.4 .mu.m to 3.0 .mu.m, and has the following composition when represented in terms of wt.% of oxides:SiO.sub.2 : 17.0-27.0% (35.5-57.0 mol %)Li.sub.2 O+Na.sub.2 O+K.sub.2 O: 0.5-5.0% (0.7-20.0 mol %)PbO: 72.0-75.0% (39.1-45.0 mol %)As.sub.2 O.sub.3 +Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 : 0-3.0% (0.0-2.