Abstract: A grating light valve has with a plurality of spaced reflective ribbons are spatially arranged over a substrate with reflective surfaces. The grating light valve is configured to optimized the conditions for constructive and destructive interference with an incident light source having a wavelength ?. The grating light valve preferably has a set of movable active ribbons alternating between the set of stationary bias ribbons. The active ribbons and the bias ribbons are spatially separated over the substrate surface such that reflective regions of the substrate surface correspond to the spaces between the ribbons. The ribbons and reflective regions of the substrate optically and geometrically optimized for to generate the conditions for constrictive and destructive interference with the incident light source.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber optic lens assembly and method of mounting a lens array in the same. The fiber optic lens assembly includes a housing including a lens mounting aperture formed therein. The housing includes at least one feature adjacent the lens mounting aperture. A lens array is positioned within the lens mounting aperture and adjacent the feature. At least one biasing member is positioned adjacent the lens array. The biasing member forces the lens array against the feature. The method includes positioning the lens array adjacent at least one feature formed in a lens mounting aperture of a housing. At least one biasing member is inserted in the lens mounting aperture adjacent the lens array. A cornering force is applied against the lens array with the biasing member.

Abstract: A grating structure with a dielectric coating is disclosed that operates efficiently away from the blaze angle in low order with a high diffraction efficiency and high wavelength dispersion. Such grating structure can be employed in Littrow configuration to provide, for example, cavity feedback in excimer lasers.

Abstract: Novel methods are disclosed for designing and constructing miniature optical systems and devices employing light diffractive optical elements (DOEs) for modifying the size and shape of laser beams produced from a commercial-grade laser diodes, over an extended range hitherto unachievable using conventional techniques. The systems and devices of the present invention have uses in a wide range of applications, including laser scanning, optical-based information storage, medical and analytical instrumentation, and the like. In the illustrative embodiments, various techniques are disclosed for implementing the DOEs as holographic optical elements (HOEs), computer-generated holograms (CGHs), as well as other diffractive optical elements.

Abstract: A system is provided in which an expanded non-collimated source of light may be used to produce a uniform polarized light exposure for use, for example, in the photo alignment of optical films. Uniformity of polarization and intensity may be maintained even when a high-intensity source of ultraviolet light is used. The system may be scaled in size to produce large exposures without sacrificing uniformity of intensity of uniformity of direction of polarization. The system includes a light source, a pile-of-plates polarizer, and a surface (such as the surface of an optical film) to be exposed. The pile-of-plates polarizer is oriented orthogonally to the surface, thereby providing a polarized light exposure having a uniform direction of polarization on the exposed surface. The light source may be oriented at Brewster's angle to the polarizer to improve polarization contrast.

Abstract: A holographic stereogram printing system to print holographic stereograms with good efficiency and no drop in the operating rate of the imaging system and holographic printer. An imaging system control section of an imaging system comprises an operating section that along with controlling the operation of the camera according to the desired selection of the user such as imaging method, image size selection or image layout, also creates an information management file for the base image based on the control information. A holographic stereogram printer prints out a holographic stereogram according to the information management file provided along a transmission path.

Abstract: A dot matrix system, which uses an electronic display panel as a diffractive optical device to produce two laser beams. The interference pattern of these two beams, at the focal plane of a lens, forms a grating spot with a shape and beam profile determined by the wavefronts diffracted by the electronic display device. The invention uniquely combines aspects of the interfering beam prior art and the prior art using an imaging display. Instead of simply reducing a diffraction image on a display device as in the imaging display prior art, the invention puts two different Fourier transforms on the display, the laser beam interacts with these Fourier transforms, and a lens focuses the two beams on the recording medium, with the two beams interfering with each other to produce the desired grating pattern. Because multiple orders of the wavefront will be produced by the display device, a light blocking element is used, with an aperture to pass only the desired order(s) of the beams.

Abstract: A monocentric arrangement of optical components providing stereoscopic display of a virtual image, electronically generated, line by line, from an electromechanical grating light modulator (85) and projected, as a real intermediate image, near the focal surface (22) of a curved mirror (24) by means of a scanning ball lens assembly (100). To form each left and right intermediate image component, a separate image generation system (70) comprises a scanning ball lens assembly (100) comprising a spherical lens (46) for wide field of view and a reflective surface (102). A monocentric arrangement of optical components images the left and right scanning ball lens pupil at the corresponding left and right viewing pupil (14) of the observer (12) and essentially provides a single center of curvature for projection components.

Abstract: A bandpass filter containing specific combinations of the dyes to yield filters which are adapted to selectively transmit predetermined primary color wavelengths of an electromagnetic spectrum as well as selectively absorb wavelengths other than the predetermined primary color wavelengths. The multiple bandpass filters are employed to improve the images on CRT screens and plasma display panels.

Abstract: An optical wiring device providing characteristics of optical connection leads while having substantially the same mountability as that of electrical wiring devices. According to the present invention, an optical axis of a photoelectric conversion element is made consistent with an optical axis of an optical terminal having a spherical shape through a tapered hole provided in a package substrate. An optical wiring substrate includes a concave portion attached to the package substrate with the optical terminal at the position of the concave portion. The optical terminal serves as a fitting part between the package substrate and the optical wiring substrate. By putting the focal point of the optical terminal within the optical wiring substrate, an optical wiring is not exposed to the external atmosphere.

Abstract: A fiber optic isolator device is used by fiber optic systems operating at more than one wavelength. The device may be inserted anywhere within the fiber network. The fiber optic device permits the separation of the wavelengths so that an optical isolator module can isolate a first wavelength without significantly affecting the second wavelength. This device is useful isolating a communications signal at 1.55 &mgr;m while avoiding significant losses for an optical time domain reflectometry signal, for example at 1.3 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a single mode optical fibre comprising a light-conductive core portion, an internal cladding portion surrounding said core portion and a jacketing portion surrounding said internal cladding portion, in which the refractive index of the core portion is larger than those of the cladding and jacketing portion areas, and in which the refractive indices of the cladding and jacketing portion areas are practically equal.

Abstract: A diffraction grating includes a metallic base layer and layers of dielectric materials of varying refractive index, where a bottom interface of the layers is adherent to the metallic base layer. The dielectric layers are periodically spaced on top of the metallic base layer, leaving the metallic base layer exposed in regions. This grating allows for the polarization insensitive reflective properties of the base metallic layer to operate in conjunction with the polarization sensitive diffraction properties of the multilayer grating structure to provide near 100% diffraction efficiency over a reasonable wavelength bandwidth, independent of the polarization of the incident beam.

Abstract: A sleeve for an optical connector and a method of manufacturing the sleeve is provided. The sleeve is put between an optical fiber 6 and a transmitting module 4b or between an optical fiber 6 and a receiving module 4a so as to optically connect the optical fiber 6 and the transmitting or receiving module. The sleeve 1 integrally has a light-leading path 26 in a flat-headed conic shape, a peripheral projecting portion 27, an outer tube portion 28. A small-diameter end face 29 of the light-leading path 26 of the sleeve 1 faces the transmitting device 4b or the receiving device 4a. The peripheral projecting portion 27 projects from a peripheral surface of the other end portion 30, on a side of a larger diameter, of the light-leading path 26. The outer tube portion 28 is cylindrically formed and extends from a peripheral portion of the peripheral projecting portion 27. The outer tube portion 28 extends over an entire length of the light-leading path 26 along an optical axis P.

Abstract: An m-input/n-output (e.g. 1×1, 1×2, 2×2) optical fiber switch includes a switch substrate formed with v-grooves in which singlemode fibers are disposed with their ends operatively arranged in relation to a deflecting mirror to transmit or receive optical signals. To prevent misalignment between the optical paths defined by these singlemode fibers, a lens is fused to directly to each of the singlemode fiber ends to eliminate the need for separate collimating lens and create a stable and dimensionally invariable interface between the fiber and the lens, resulting in a more compact optical switch arrangement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a scanning device with the following features: the system is capable of writing data to record carriers of a first format because it is corrected for chromatic aberration resulting from fast wavelength variations during write operation; it has a diffractive element with a generally sawtooth-like pattern, such that it may for example be manufactured in a single-step replication process; the system has high efficiency for scanning first optical record carriers (e.g. DVDs) and acceptable efficiency for scanning second optical record carriers (e.g. CDs); and the lens provides limited spherochromatism and the system is thus able to cope with wavelength variations.

Abstract: The invention provides a computer-generated hologram which can be viewed in white at the desired viewing region and a reflective liquid crystal display using the same as a reflector. The computer-generated hologram H is designed to diffuse light having a given reference wavelength &lgr;STD and incident thereon at a given angle of incidence &thgr; in a specific angle range. In a range of wavelengths &lgr;MIN to &lgr;MAX including the reference wavelength &lgr;STD wherein zero-order transmission light or zero-order reflection light of incident light on the computer-generated hologram at a given angle of incidence is seen in white by additive color mixing, the maximum diffraction angle &bgr;2MIN of incident light of the minimum wavelength &lgr;MIN in the wavelength range and incident at the angle of incidence &thgr; is larger than the minimum diffraction angle &bgr;1MAX of incident light of the maximum wavelength &lgr;MAX in the wavelength range and incident at said angle of incidence &thgr;.

Abstract: An information carrier includes information in the form of a hologram. In order to increase protection against copying and/or as a simple recognizable additional security feature of this information carrier, the hologram is the combination of a transmission hologram and a reflection hologram.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for off-axis illumination direct-to-digital holography.

Abstract: An array of corner reflectors is used to provide a retro-reflector for a large range of incident angles. A novel orientation of the individual corner reflectors is used. This allows the interior of a first corner to remain visible while the interior of a second corner becomes visible. This may be done while maintaining a phase coherence between the contributions of the first and second corner reflectors. Phase coherence ensures constructive interference among the returns from the first and second corner reflectors. Coherence is achieved by an arrangement which places the interior vertices of the corner reflectors close to each other. One such arrangement also places the peak return from one corner reflector acting as a dihedral between the locations of the dihedral and trihedral returns of a second corner reflector. This arrangement results in a substantially uniform and strong retro-return. Phase coherence may be maintained over a desired range of elevation angles.