Abstract: A optical body has at least two polymeric materials forming a reflective interface for at least one polarization of light. One optical body is a multilayer optical film that includes birefringent first optical layers and second optical layers interleaved with the first optical layers. Each first optical layer is formed using a polymer, such as a copolymer of polyethylene naphthalate. The second optical layers are formed so that they have a lower in-plane birefringence than the first optical layers for 632.8 nm light. Optical bodies can be used as, for example, polarizers and mirrors. The optical bodies can be formed using polymers that provide better index matching and are more easily protected from UV light without coloring the optical body.

Abstract: A touch panel is constructed of a top sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface and a base sheet member having a resistive membrane on its inner surface, the top and base sheet members facing each other with dot spacers being located in between. The top sheet member is formed by laminating a bulge-resistant film, a polarizing plate, a quarter wavelength plate, and a light isotropic film in this order from above. The base sheet member is constructed of a glass sheet and a reinforcement film whose thermal linear expansion coefficient is almost the same as the thermal linear expansion coefficient of the polarizing plate or the quarter wavelength plate included in the top sheet member, the reinforcement film being adhered to the lower surface of the glass sheet.

Abstract: An electrooptic waveplate for changing the state of polarization of light passing therethrough is disclosed. The waveplate provides a substantially constant birefringence when the principle birefringent axes of the electrooptic waveplate are rotated. The waveplate is an electro-optical material having two principle orthogonal birefringent axes that are rotable when suitable voltages are applied. Two related different voltages are applied along sequential or contiguous regions along the length L of the electo-optical waveplate for providing a controllable and varying electric field along the length L, such that retardance of the waveplate of the length L remains substantially constant while the birefringent axes of the elecrooptic waveplate are rotated by varying the voltages. The two different voltages have a phase relationship or a phase and magnitude relationship therebetween.

Abstract: A window has at least two surfaces oriented relative to each other at an angle greater than zero. A conductive path is disposed across the two surfaces and renders the window reflective or absorptive to a second predetermined bandwidth of energy, which can be radio frequency energy. The window utilizes window geometry, surface treatments, and bonding techniques to maintain electrical continuity across the surface. The window can be constructed from multiple segmented elements, such as sapphire, or from a unitary body. The window is transmissive to a desired wavelength of energy for the sensor while being reflective, refractive, or absorptive to a desired RF bandwidth of energy. The window provides RF signature management coupled with a substantial sensor Field of Regard and allows for full-time use of an embedded sensor.

Abstract: An optical waveguide structure for distributing light from a light source includes a cylindrical sleeve configured to accommodate and receive light from the light source. The sleeve includes a central axis. A waveguide collar is formed from a solid, planar block of material. The block of material has a central portion configured to accommodate and surround the sleeve. The first and second output arms extend in a plane away from the central portion. The plane is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

Abstract: An optical device includes at least a first and second electrical conductors. At least one optical layer overlies at least a portion of the first and second electrical conductors. An applicator is positioned proximate to said at least one optical layer to selectively redirect light from the optical layer. An electrical coupling path between said at least one applicator and one of said first or second electrical conductors, at least a portion of the coupling path traversing said at least one optical layer. At least one optical waveguide may be formed in an optical layer above said electrical conductors. A feature is located to receive light redirected by the applicator and at least one electrical coupling path, which may be included in said feature, couples the applicator and at least one of said plurality of conductors. In a further aspect, a method for manufacturing an optical device is disclosed.

Abstract: Holographic patterns are produced by utilizing a laser to illuminate a workpiece with an interference pattern, with sufficient laser power to ablate the workpiece where it is illuminated by the laser, and moving the workpiece and the interference pattern relative to each other.

Abstract: Conventional retroreflection mirrors in the form of right angle prisms are quite sensitive to beam position and beam angle errors. Manufacturing and assembly tolerances are also a cause of concern in conventional devices. Accordingly, the present invention solves these aforementioned problems by providing a retroreflection device comprising: a beam director, preferably in the form of a Wollaston prism; a polarization rotator, preferably in the form of a quarter wave plate; and a flat reflective surface, such as a plane mirror. The device of the present invention is far less sensitive to beam angle alignment and is completely independent of the beam position. The present invention is particularly useful as a beam splitter for directing orthogonally polarized beams of light back along parallel paths in an interleaver apparatus.

Abstract: After a wide-band DCF is wound around a bobbin to form an optical fiber coil 32, the latter is removed from the bobbin and placed into a bundle state (the state where the increase in transmission loss in the wavelength band of 1.55 &mgr;m caused by distortions in winding is reduced by 0.1 dB/km or more) released from distortions in winding. A resin 42 is used as a coil-tidying member so as to secure the optical fiber coil 32 to a storage case 40 at four positions. Both ends of the optical fiber coil 32 are connected to pigtail fibers at fusion-splicing parts 44; respectively. Even when the storage case 40 is closed with a lid after the optical fiber coil 32 is secured to the storage case 40 with the resin 42, there remain interstices within the bundle of the optical fiber coil 32 and a space between the optical fiber coil 32 and the storage case 40. As a result, even when the optical fiber coil 32 in a bundle state is accommodated in the storage case 40, transmission loss and the like would not increase.

Abstract: In a projection display that includes a polarization beam splitter prism and two reflective light valves, each of a pair of dichroic beam splitters is disposed between the polarization beam splitter prism and a respective one of the reflective light valves. The arrangement as such ensures that only a minimal amount of light leakage components will reach a projection lens of the projection display so as to achieve optimum image quality.

Abstract: A process for making molds for retroreflective sheeting and like articles includes making a substrate having a structured surface of geometric structures such as cube corner elements. The structured surface is in one embodiment partially replicated from a previous generation structured surface, and partially machined in the substrate. At least one of the faces of the structured surface is a compound face that has one machined portion and one non-machined portion, such as a replicated portion. The process can be used to manufacture substrates with desirable geometry cube corner elements, such as cube corner elements having a hexagonal outline in plan view, without requiring the use of pin bundling techniques or laminae. The process can also be used to manufacture articles having cube corner elements in which at least one face of the cube corner element has two constituent faces disposed on opposed sides of a transition line that is nonparallel to a nondihedral edge of such cube corner element.

Abstract: The invention provides a cutting step of a polarization beam separating material less susceptible to cutting position slipping. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a polarization beam splitter for splitting an incident beam into two types of linearly polarized beams. A laminate is constructed by gluing a plurality of substrates, at least some of which have a polarization beam separating film on one surface thereof. The planar laminate of the substrate is cut at a predetermined angle to the surface thereof to form a generally planar polarization beam splitter block in which a plurality of prisms are glued, each having a parallelogrammatic shape in cross section. A rectangular parallelepiped polarization beam splitter is thus formed by cutting away a prism portion having a generally trapezoidal shape in cross section from at least one end portion of the polarization beam splitter block.

Abstract: A multicolored reflection liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates having a reflective holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) film disposed therebetween. The H-PDLC film contains at least two different reflection gratings capable of reflecting two different wavelengths of light. A multicolored reflection H-PDLC is obtained by simultaneously illuminating a plurality of regions of a film comprised of a mixture of a liquid crystal and a photo-polymerizable monomer with a plurality of holographic light patterns capable of providing liquid crystal layers of different spacings so as to obtain different reflection gratings in each of the regions. A mask is placed between each of the laser light beams and the film to form a pattern of light and dark regions on the film. Each mask is positioned such that at least one light region of a first beam pair coincides with at least one dark region of a second beam pair within the film.

Abstract: The invention presents the concept of self-referenced holographic data recording. In exemplary embodiments, the invention comprises methods of recording holograms on holographic data storage media; media produced by such methods; and self-referencing holographic data storage systems. A method of recording data in a holographic recording medium may comprise illuminating a medium with a data encoded first optical beam, optically directing a zero frequency Fourier component of the first optical beam to create a second optical beam, and illuminating the medium with the second optical. In some embodiments, for example, a self-referencing holographic data storage system has a single optical path directed towards a medium.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an optical component, long-shaped members 2e, 2f each for a polarizer, 3a for a Faraday rotator, 4a for a compensator are fixed on the substrate 1 by an epoxy adhesive to fabricate an interim article. The interim article is then adhered on a glass substrate 9 by wax 10. The interim article is then cut into pieces each of which is used as an optical component for an optical isolator.

Abstract: A color hologram recording medium 2 includes volume hologram recording mediums 14R, 14G and 14B for diffracting light of wavelengths different from each other. Reconstruction patterns 1R, 1G and 1B of the volume hologram recording mediums 14R, 14G and 14B are recorded so that the reconstruction patterns 1R, 1G and 1B are reconstructed at reconstruction positions different from each other. Thus, the color hologram recording medium 2 can have a wide variety of designs and artistic characters that the recorded color reconstruction patterns vary depending on watched directions.

Abstract: A junction box for a single-tube cable, and particularly an optical fiber cable for the connection of one or several wires or fibers of the cable to one or several wires or fibers of another cable. The box has a hollow support (3) suitable for a tensioned connected cable crossing (C) and a spacer (2) to hold the casing of the axially cut cable spread inside the hollow support (3) to free the cable wires or fibers (F). Application to the installation and maintenance of cable networks is also described.

Abstract: A diffusive optical element exploiting holography is designed in such a way that, the higher the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the lower the rate at which the intensity of diffused light in that wavelength range is reduced with increasing angle relative to the maximum intensity direction. Thus, the lower the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the narrower the range of angles at which light is diffused in that wavelength range. This makes it possible to use light diffused at angles within a predetermined range relative to the maximum intensity direction, and thereby enhance light use efficiency in a wavelength range in which light intensity is comparatively low. This diffusive optical element is employed in an illumination optical system, which is used to illuminate photographic film from which to read images.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical device in which a first light source for outputting a first wavelength light is apart from a second light source for outputting a second wavelength light by a predetermined distance. An information recording medium is irradiated with the first and second wavelength lights transmitted through a holographic optical element having first and second diffraction areas. The first and second diffraction areas are provided with grating arrangements in which grating axis directions are parallel to each other and grating pitches are different from each other. The first and second wavelength lights reflected by the information recording medium are transmitted through the holographic optical element and diffracted by the first and second diffraction areas.

Abstract: A wireless communication device having a display screen with a holographic overlay. The holographic overlay includes an image that is visible when the display screen is viewed at predetermined angles. The holographic overlay may provide additional surface on the wireless communication device for marking and advertising, and may also provide security by preventing unintended viewers from seeing characters on the display screen. In one embodiment, the display screen includes a character screen, a lens, and a holographic overlay.