Abstract: In one example, the voids 208 comprise one or more gas (e.g., air) bubbles in the solid material 206. In another example, the voids 208 comprise a structure that preserves a space in the solid material 206. In a further example, the voids 208 comprise hollow elastomeric bubbles, for example, hollow elastomeric microspheres. The hollow elastomeric microspheres comprise microballoons with tin walls that encapsulate a gas to allow for easy compression. For example, the walls of the hollow elastomeric microspheres are strong enough to avoid breakage under pressure, but thin enough to easily compress. In a further example, once cured in the solid material 206, the hollow elastomeric microspheres comprise substantially similar compressibility characteristics as gas bubbles. The voids 208 in one example are added to a resin of the solid material 206 in a substantially uniform distribution. For example, the hollow elastomeric microspheres are stirred into the resin of the solid material 206.

Abstract: An optical fiber lighted instrument panel includes an instrument panel having at least one portion to be illuminated disposed in a vehicle. The optical fiber lighted instrument panel contains at least one optical fiber with at least one predetermined aperture formed in the cable by selective application to specific areas to the core of the optical fiber cable, thus allowing light to emit from the optical fiber cable and illuminate the desired areas of the instrument panel. The optical fiber lighted instrument panel further includes the addition of high-refractive index paint to achieve uniform and assorted colors of light emitting from the optical fiber. The invention further includes the addition of a wheel with various colored filters attached in-line between the light source and the inlet of the optical fiber to allow the user to select what color they desire to be illuminated from the cable.

Abstract: The present invention has an object of providing a variable optical filter that can move its periodic filter characteristic over a wide range in parallel to an optical frequency axis direction. To this end, the variable optical filter of the present invention comprises: first and second filter sections connected in series via an optical path, and a control section for controlling the periodic filter characteristic of each of the first and second filter sections. The control section, when the filter characteristic of one of the first and second filter sections is required to move in parallel to the optical frequency axis direction to exceed a variable range, relatively controls the filter characteristic of each of the first and second filter sections such that the switching is performed from one filter section to the other filter section, provided that the filter characteristic of the overall variable optical filters becomes constant.

Abstract: The positive and negative ion beam merging system extracts positive and negative ions of the same species and of the same energy from two separate ion sources. The positive and negative ions from both sources pass through a bending magnetic field region between the pole faces of an electromagnet. Since the positive and negative ions come from mirror image positions on opposite sides of a beam axis, and the positive and negative ions are identical, the trajectories will be symmetrical and the positive and negative ion beams will merge into a single neutral beam as they leave the pole face of the electromagnet. The ion sources are preferably multicusp plasma ion sources. The ion sources may include a multi-aperture extraction system for increasing ion current from the sources.

Abstract: A refractive index grating has at least one configuration of heating elements on or adjacent to a wave-guiding structure. Regions are introduced into the wave-guiding structure and/or into an adjoining substrate, which regions have a higher thermo-optical coefficient or a lower thermal conductivity compared to the wave-guiding structure or the substrate. Substantially each heating element is assigned at least one of the regions with a higher thermo-optical coefficient and/or at least one region with a lower thermal conductivity. There is also provided a mode coupler with a refractive index grating of this type.

Abstract: A basic reflector arrangement has first and second power splitters. Each power splitter has first to fourth ports where the first port of the first power splitter is coupled to a remote signal source for receiving signals therefrom and providing feedback signals thereto. Signals received at each of the first and fourth ports of each power splitter are combined and split into first and second portions for transmission via the second and third ports, respectively, and signals received at the second and third ports are combined and split into first and second portions for transmission via the first and fourth ports, respectively. The second port of the second power splitter is coupled to provide an output signal from the reflector arrangement, and the first, third, and fourth ports thereof are coupled to the second, third, and fourth ports, respectively, of the first power splitter.

Abstract: A device that permits the in-home UV treatment of drinking water such as tap water is disclosed. The device employs a bare low-energy UV lamp suspended below a reflector and above a free surface of water flowing within the device. The water is supplied from a tap or other store of drinking water and proceeds through the device by the force of gravity. The device itself is not pressurized. The flow of water within the device is exposed to UV radiation from the UV lamp and is disinfected as a result. In the illustrated embodiment, the device is of a small size to permit its use, for example, directly at a tap for drinking water within the home. The flow rate of the device is commensurate with the normal flow rate of tap water, preferably less than about 8 liters per minute. The lamp power for safely disinfecting the water can be less than 20 watts, and in the illustrated embodiment the lamp is a low-pressure Hg lamp.

Abstract: A fluorescent optical position sensor and method of operation. A small excitation source side-pumps a localized region of fluorescence at an unknown position along a fluorescent waveguide. As the fluorescent light travels down the waveguide, the intensity of fluorescent light decreases due to absorption. By measuring with one (or two) photodetectors the attenuated intensity of fluorescent light emitted from one (or both) ends of the waveguide, the position of the excitation source relative to the waveguide can be determined by comparing the measured light intensity to a calibrated response curve or mathematical model. Alternatively, excitation light can be pumped into an end of the waveguide, which generates an exponentially-decaying continuous source of fluorescent light along the length of the waveguide. The position of a photodetector oriented to view the side of the waveguide can be uniquely determined by measuring the intensity of the fluorescent light emitted radially at that location.

Abstract: An optical transceiver module for use in optical communications networks is disclosed. The transceiver features a simplified optical subassembly structure that facilitates the alignment and calibration of active optical components located thereon. The transceiver includes a shell that contains a transceiver printed circuit board and a transmitter/receiver optical subassembly (“TROSA”) connected to the printed circuit board via a TROSA connector. The TROSA includes a singular substrate on which a laser for producing optical signals and a photodetector for receiving optical signals are disposed. The laser and photodetector are precisely positioned on the TROSA substrate to have a specified spacing therebetween. So positioned, the laser and photodetector can be aligned with conduits of a sleeve assembly in a single alignment operation, thereby simplifying calibration of the transceiver module.

Abstract: An electron microscope observation system and an observation method are provided. The electron microscope observation system and the observation method can reduce initial investment, and can eliminate burden of maintenance of the apparatus, and can easily and appropriately perform preparation of a sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus for determining concentrations of organic additives in metal plating solutions, based on infrared spectroscopy, and more specifically attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR).

Abstract: An optical filter composed of a concatenation of elementary filters consisting of chirped slanted Bragg gratings written on a continuous portion of an optical waveguide, characterized in that the various gratings in the concatenation have the same angle, identical lengths and a linear chirp.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for splitting and combining optical beams with reduced contact loss and electrical isolation. In one embodiment, an apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes a first optical waveguide section disposed in semiconductor material. The apparatus further includes second and third optical waveguide sections symmetrically disposed in the semiconductor material proximate to an end of the first optical waveguide section. First and second insulating gap regions are disposed in the semiconductor material between the first and second optical waveguide sections and the first and third optical waveguide sections, respectively, such that there is a first evanescent coupling between first and second optical waveguide sections across the first insulating gap region and there is a second evanescent coupling between the first and third optical waveguide sections across the second insulating gap region. The first, second, and third waveguide sections are electrically isolated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for hardening a metal article, comprising a holding device, an energy beam generator pointed at the holding device for directing energy beams at the holding device, and a cycling system supporting the holding device, wherein the cycling system varies the location of the holding device relative to the energy beam generator. The apparatus includes an energy beam delivery instrument system positioned between the energy beam generator and the holding device so that the energy an energy beam delivery instrument directs the energy beam to the holding device. Also, the apparatus includes an auxiliary heating device engaging the holding device, wherein the auxiliary heating device heats the metal article independently from the energy beam.

Abstract: When an end surface of a silica optical fiber and another optical element are to be optically coupled to each other, according to the invention, the optical fiber is treated so that a core of the optical fiber is protruded from a clad of the optical fiber at an end portion of the optical fiber to form a protrusion shaped like a truncated cone or like a cone. On this occasion, the refractive index of the surrounding medium is selected to be in a range of from 1.35 to 1.60. Preferably, the area of the top surface of the truncated cone is not larger than ? as large as the area of the bottom surface of the truncated cone. Further preferably, the side surface of the core protrusion is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to 75 degrees, both inclusively, with respect to the central axis of the core.

Abstract: A highly accurate technique for inspecting semiconductor devices is described. The technique involves utilizing multiple sets of measurement data obtained by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine the dimensional parameters of a semiconductor device. The SEM collects each set of data from a different angular orientation with respect to the device. The dimensional parameters of the semiconductor device are determined by analyzing the relationship between the SEM inspection angle and the collected data sets. Various configurations of an SEM can be used to implement this invention. For instance an electron beam inspection system of the present invention can have at least two sets of deflectors for guiding the electron beam, a swiveling specimen stage, and/or a set of detectors set about the specimen at different angular orientations.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical waveguide for enabling the reduction of a coupling loss caused by difference in the size of a mode field diameter between optical waveguide modes different in the mode field diameter and a coupling loss caused by reflection on a boundary caused by the difference of media and an optical device using it. Structure provided with a mode field diameter converter provided with an antireflection part required to reduce a coupling loss between a microoptical circuit and a single mode optical fiber is integrally produced using effective refractive index control based upon photonic crystal structure.

Abstract: An inexpensive, robust, and adhesive-free method and apparatus is disclosed for efficiently coupling first and second optical components together utilizing a flexure assembly for fine alignment. An initial three-dimensional rough alignment process positions the first and second optical components proximate to each other and aligns them in three dimensions. The first and second components are then misaligned by a fixed amount, causing a defocus, and then securely fastened together. The fine alignment process uses standard machine screws, or other easily attainable, robust tensioning means to progressively increase the tension around the periphery of the flexure assembly, which causes the flexure to bend and the second optical component to translate along the longitudinal axis of the flexure assembly and tilt with respect to the longitudinal axis of the flexure assembly, which re-focuses and three-dimensionally finely aligns the optical components for optimum coupling efficiency in a simple and secure manner.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a high speed thermo-optic phase shifter comprises a length of optical waveguide including a waveguiding core of a first material having an index of refraction n1 and a first order temperature dependence |dn1/dT| and, optically coupled to the core, a length of a second material having an index n2 preferably greater than the core (n2>n1) and a first order temperature dependence |dn2/dT| than the core (|dn2/dT|>|dn1/dT|). Advantageously, the length of second material is adiabatically tapered at both ends. Upon heating, as by a resistance heater, the second material changes the optical pathlength by an amount predominantly determined by |dn2/dT| providing faster switching speed. In a preferred embodiment, the core comprises silica, and the second material comprises silicon to produce switching speeds up to a few hundred MHz.

Abstract: A surface light source unit (3) includes a light source (31) and a light guide plate (30). The light guide plate includes a light incidence surface (301) for receiving light beams, an emission surface (302) for emitting the light beams, and a bottom surface (303) for scattering and diffusing the light beams. A plurality of diffusion dots (311) is formed on the bottom surface and a plurality of protrusions (312) parallel to the light incidence surface is formed on the emission surface with decreasing an interval between two adjacent protrusions as goes away from the light incidence surface. The amount (N) of the protrusions satisfies a condition of N=R/220, wherein R is a distance from the light incidence surface to an opposite surface of the light guide plate. The surface light source unit provides uniform illumination and high brightness for a liquid crystal display panel.