Abstract: An optical apparatus including a 360-degree star coupler with derivative structure(s) and applications to optical imaging, optical communications and optical spectroscopy.

Abstract: A recording head includes: an actuator having a plurality of operable portions operable to cause the recording head to perform a recording; a drive circuit for driving the operable portions of the actuator; a wiring member on which the drive circuit is mounted, which is joined to the actuator, and which has a plurality of conductor wires including a first common voltage wire connected to a common voltage portion of the actuator that is common to the operable portions and a second common voltage wire connected to a common voltage portion of the drive circuit. The recording head further includes (A) a conductor for establishing, in an outer surface of the wiring member, an electrical conduction between the first common voltage wire and the second common voltage wire, or (B) conducting means for establishing, in the outer surface of the wiring member, the electrical conduction between the first and second common voltage wires. Also disclosed are methods for manufacturing and inspecting the recording head.

Abstract: An optical waveguide device that is smaller in size and has higher impact resistance. The optical waveguide device (1) has a V-groove (14) formed in a groove forming surface (SF) at an end of a base board (10) where an optical waveguide section (11) is formed. An optical fiber element (22) is embedded by an adhesive layer (13) and connected to the base board (10) with an end of the optical fiber element (22) fitted in the V-groove (14).

Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes an ejection head having an ejection surface with an ejection outlet for ejecting a droplet of a functional liquid, a first container connected to the ejection head via a flow path to form a first space for containing the functional liquid that is to be supplied to the ejection head, a second container for containing the first container to form a second space between the first and the second containers, a pressure regulator for adjusting a pressure of the second space, and a temperature regulator for adjusting a temperature of the functional liquid of the first container, at least a part of the first container being made of a film deformed in accordance with an operation of the pressure regulator.

Abstract: An optical termination unit is provided for allowing an optical cable to be easily projected straight in any of five directions, including upward, downward, rightward, leftward, and rearward directions, thereby enhancing the efficiency of cable laying or the like. An end securing box 150 of the optical termination unit 100 includes a two-stage multi-tiered box structure separable to two bodies, the first stage including a clamp tray 120 and the second stage including a fusion tray 130 which is provided with a lid (lid 140) thereupon. An inlet Im (m=1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for introducing the end of a second optical cable to be embedded in a wall or a pillar is provided at each face of the enclosure. Holes H1 and H2 formed on the rear face 115 are provided for securing the end securing box 150 with a nylatch n. The end securing box 150 having a rectangular solid shape has multiple holes formed therein.

Abstract: The liquid ejection apparatus has: a head which ejects liquid; a carriage which conveys the head; a sub tank which is mounted on the carriage, accommodates the liquid to be supplied to the head, and has an elastic film deforming elastically in accordance with supply of the liquid to the head; a liquid flow channel opening and closing valve which opens and closes a first liquid flow channel between the head and the sub tank; a main tank which stores the liquid to be supplied to the sub tank; a liquid supply coupling section which couples a second liquid flow channel connected to the main tank, to the sub tank, in a state where the carriage is located in a predetermined home position; and an elastic film movement device which moves the elastic film in a direction which causes the elastic film to recover from elastic deformation to assist deformation recovery of the elastic film of the sub tank, in a state where the first liquid flow channel is closed by means of the liquid flow channel opening and closing valve

Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a connector for an optical imaging probe that includes one or more optical fibers communicating light along the catheter. The device may use multiple sections for simpler manufacturing and ease of assembly during a medical procedure. Light energy to and from a distal minimally-invasive portion of the probe is coupled by the connector to external diagnostic or analytical instrumentation through an external instrumentation lead. Certain examples provide a self-aligning two-section optical catheter with beveled ends, which is formed by separating an optical cable assembly. Techniques for improving light coupling include using a lens between instrumentation lead and probe portions. Techniques for improving the mechanical alignment of a multi-optical fiber catheter include using a stop or a guide.

Abstract: An improved laser source for use in a distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system (and DTS systems employing the same) includes a laser device and drive circuitry that cooperate to emit an optical pulse train at a characteristic wavelength between 1050 nm and 1090 nm. An optical amplifier, which is operably coupled to the laser device, is adapted to amplify the optical pulse train for output over the optical fiber sensor of the DTS system. In the preferred embodiment, the laser device operates at 1064 nm and outputs the optical pulse train via an optical fiber pigtail that is integral to its housing. The optical power of the optical pulse train generated by the laser source is greater than 100 mW, and preferably greater than 1 W, at a preferred pulse repetition frequency range between 1 and 50 kHz, and at a preferred pulse width range between 2 and 100 ns.

Abstract: An optical rotating data transmission device comprises a first collimator arrangement for coupling-on first optical waveguides, a second collimator arrangement for coupling-on second optical waveguides, which is supported to be rotatable relative to the first collimator arrangement about a rotation axis, and a derotating element such as a Dove prism in a light path between the collimator arrangements. At least one collimator arrangement comprises a deflecting element which deflects light entering the device from optical waveguides positioned at an angle to the direction of the rotation axis to travel along the direction of the rotation axis, or deflects light traveling along the direction of the rotation axis to exit the device at an angle to the rotation axis towards optical waveguides.

Abstract: A backlight (5) for a 3D display device, the backlight (5) comprising a planar light guide (7) through which light is guided transversely by internal reflection. The light guide (7) is provided with a plurality of grooves (8), which are configured to direct light propagating within the light guide (7), out of a face (7f) of the light guide (7) so as to form a plurality of line light sources.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a substrate composed of a (110) single crystal silicon, a driver IC formed in the substrate, and a piezoelectric device that is formed above the substrate and is driven by the driver IC, wherein the driver IC has an analog switch including a transistor, the transistor having a channel direction in <001> orientation of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a contact-type solid-state imaging apparatus which realizes high resolution and high sensitivity, and also implements downsizing and lowering the cost of the contact-type solid-state imaging apparatus. Each pixel includes a protection glass plate, a light-collecting device, a light-receiving device, a semiconductor integrated circuit, a light emitting diode (LED) and a mounting package. The light-collecting apparatus has two kinds of distributed index lens (o lens and convex lens), and Sin (N=2) film, which is a two-stage concentric structure, is embedded in SiO2 (N=1.45) film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retardation layer capable of effectively restraining the display quality deterioration without generating a bright and dark pattern in the display image even when a retardation layer is disposed in between a liquid crystal cell and a polarizing plate. The retardation layer comprises a plurality of minute units (domains) having molecular structure of cholesteric structure. Moreover, in the retardation layer, the helical pitch of the molecular structure is adjusted such that the selective reflected wavelength of the selected reflected light deriving from the molecular structure is shorter than the wavelength of the incident light on the retardation layer.

Abstract: A planar lightwave circuit is provided which can be easily fabricated by an existing planar-lightwave-circuit fabrication process, which can lower the propagation loss of signal light and which can convert inputted signal light so as to derive desired signal light. A planar lightwave circuit having a core and a clad which are formed on a substrate, has input optical waveguide(s) (111) which inputs signal light, mode coupling part (112) for coupling a fundamental mode of the inputted signal light to a higher-order mode and/or a radiation mode, or mode re-coupling part (113) for re-coupling the higher-order mode and/or the radiation mode to the fundamental mode, and output optical waveguide(s) (114) which outputs signal light. The mode coupling part or the mode re-coupling part is an optical waveguide which has core width and/or height varied continuously.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a light modulator using a thin plate having a thickness of 20 ?m or less and capable of stably holding a conductive film suppressing troubles such as resonance phenomenon of microwaves in a substrate and pyro-electric phenomenon and to provide a method of fabricating the light modulator. The light modulator includes: a thin plate (10) formed of a material having an electro-optic effect and having a thickness of 20 ?m or less; a light waveguide (11) formed on the front or rear surface of the thin plate; and modulation electrodes (13, 14) formed on the front surface of the thin plate to modulate light passing through the light waveguide. The light modulator further includes a reinforcing plate (16) bonded to the rear surface of the thin plate and a conductive film (17) continuously formed in the range from the side surface of the thin plate to the side surface of the reinforcing plate.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a cladding, a first core, and a second core. At least one of the first core and the second core is hollow and is substantially surrounded by the cladding. At least a portion of the first core is generally parallel to and spaced from at least a portion of the second core. The optical fiber includes a defect substantially surrounded by the cladding, the defect increasing a coupling coefficient between the first core and the second core.

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes: a casing; an inkjet head which is arranged in the casing and ejects ink from nozzles toward a recording medium; a scanning device which is arranged in the casing and moves the inkjet head to scan the recording medium in a scanning direction parallel with a breadthways direction of the recording medium; a recording medium supply device which accommodates the recording medium and is removably installed into the casing via a front face side of the casing and disposed on a lower side of the inkjet head in a vertical direction of the casing; a conveyance device which conveys the recording medium from the recording medium supply device to a recording region where the recording medium receives deposition of the ink ejected from the inkjet head, and conveys the recording medium within the recording region in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction; an ink cartridge which accommodates the ink to be supplied to the inkjet head and is removably installed

Abstract: An optical connector 10 includes a ferrule 20 to secure the set of multiple optical fibers 100, a plug member 21 to hold the ferrule 20, and a spacer 22 having a pin 23 for guiding, the spacer being integrally fixed to the ferrule 20 by means of inserting the pin 23 into the ferrule 20 to be secured together with the ferrule within the plug member 21, wherein the ferrule 20 has at least one first positioning portion for example a recessed portion 51, 52, and the spacer 22 has at least one second positioning portion for example a projection 61, 62 which is fitted to a corresponding first positioning portion to position the ferrule to the spacer.

Abstract: An all-fiber optical pulse compression arrangement comprises a concatenated arrangement of a section of input fiber (e.g., a single mode fiber), a graded-index (GRIN) fiber lens and a section of pulse-compressing fiber (e.g., LMA fiber). The GRIN fiber lens is used to provide mode matching between the input fiber (supporting the propagation of chirped optical pulses) and the pulse-compressing fiber, with efficient pulse compression occurring along the length of the LMA fiber. The dispersion and length of the LMA fiber section are selected to provide the desired degree of pulse compression; for example, capable of reconstituting a femtosecond pulse as is used in supercontinuum generation systems.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically determining the appropriate printhead/ink tank installation position to move a carrier transporting the printhead/ink tanks for a printing device is presented. The carrier transporting the printhead/ink tank moves along a carrier frame and is covered by a protective cover. Once the protective cover is raised on the printing device, the status of the ink tank is sensed. Based on the ink tank status, the printing device carrier is moved to the appropriate printhead/ink tank installation position. In one embodiment, the status of the ink tank is determined by using the ink presence sensor. In another embodiment, the status of the ink tank is determined by using near field wireless communication with the memory of the ink tank.