Abstract: An optical element having a complex structure of diffraction grating, an inclined surface, a difference in level and the like and of good optical characteristics, its manufacturing method, and an optical element manufacturing metal die capable of injection molding the optical element are disclosed. By using an optical element manufacturing metal die constituted to have nestings which have mirror surface forming portions two adjoining pairs of mirror surfaces of the optical element are molded by two adjoining pairs of mirror surface forming portions which are formed on the same nesting. The optical element manufacturing metal die is constituted to include the nesting having a diffraction grating forming portion in which a predetermined concave-convex pattern for molding the diffraction grating of the optical element is formed on one surface of a substrate.

Abstract: An optical data storage system and method comprising a photopolymer medium having generally a polymerizable monomer, an active binder, a first, hologram recording polymerization initiator, and a second, data writing polymerization initiator. The monomer is preferably a cationic ring-opening monomer. The hologram recording polymerization initiator preferably comprises a sensitizer and photoacid generator which initiate a first polymerization in the medium which defines a format hologram. The format hologram recording is carried out via interference of a signal and reference beam, with the sensitizer being specific for the wavelength(s) of the signal and reference beams. The hologram recording polymerization is only partial and does not consume all of the monomer present in the photopolymer medium.

Abstract: First lens frame has first front and rear shaft bearings that engage with the first guiding shaft along the optical axis, and a second shaft bearing that engages with a second guiding shaft along the optical axis. The first front and rear shaft bearings are spaced apart from each other along the first guiding shaft. Second lens frame has third front and rear shaft bearings that engage with the second guiding shaft, spaced apart form each other, and fourth shaft bearing that engages with the first guiding shaft. The third front and rear shaft bearings are arranged with the second shaft bearing between them, and fourth shaft bearing is disposed between the first front and second shaft bearings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device in the form of a filter which is useable in conjunction with a plasma display panel and which functions to reduce reflection after assembly to acceptable levels, to increase contrast enhancement ratios, to reduce EMI emissions to levels which comply with consumer safety and other regulations and standards and to reduce infrared transmission in the 800 nm-1000 nm range to a level which does not interfere with IR remote control operation. The present invention also relates to a method of making such a plasma display panel filter.

Abstract: An ultra-broadband ultraviolet (UV) catadioptric imaging microscope system with wide-range zoom capability. The microscope system, which comprises a catadioptric lens group and a zooming tube lens group, has high optical resolution in the deep UV wavelengths, continuously adjustable magnification, and a high numerical aperture. The system integrates microscope modules such as objectives, tube lenses and zoom optics to reduce the number of components, and to simplify the system manufacturing process. The preferred embodiment offers excellent image quality across a very broad deep ultraviolet spectral range, combined with an all-refractive zooming tube lens. The zooming tube lens is modified to compensate for higher-order chromatic aberrations that would normally limit performance.

Abstract: A tunable filter system comprises a signal source providing a WDM having multiple channels, or other signal requiring spectral analysis, within a spectral signal band. A reference signal source is also provided that generates a reference signal with spectral features, such as narrow spectral lines, that are located within a spectral reference band. A tunable filter functions as a band pass filter in transmission and a notch filter in reflection. It is controlled to filter both the reference signal and the WDM signal. A transmission detector is provided to detect the signal transmission through the tunable filter and a return detector is provided to detect the signal that is returned from the filter. Embodiments of the invention rely on a characteristic of a class of tunable filters, such as Fabry Perot etalons, in which light that is not transmitted through the filter is reflected. Thus, while the tunable filter appears as a band pass filter in transmission, it functions as a notch filter in reflection.

Abstract: For lithographically producing the smallest structures at less than the exposure wavelengths in semiconductor fabrication, a double exposure is carried out using a thick phase mask and a trimming mask, the trimming mask further structures the phase-contrast lines produced by the phase mask. Besides transparent or opaque regions, the trimming mask also has phase-shifting regions. These surround transparent regions of the trimming mask through which the phase-contrast lines produced by the first mask are locally re-exposed, that is to say interrupted. The intensity profile of successive line sections is especially rich in contrast through the addition of the phase-shifting partially transparent regions on the second mask; the distances between the line sections can be reduced. The trimming mask, otherwise used only for larger structures, is therefore suitable for the configuration of the finest dimensionally critical structures.

Abstract: A system for projecting images is provided having a group of diffractive phase plates each encoded with different image information which have phase shifts aligned to reconstruct visible images in a Fraunhofer diffraction region. The plates are arranged along a path, and may represent successive frames of animation. A light source illuminates the plates and provides, when multiple plates are illuminated, a composite image representing image information encoded in such multiple plates. This composite image is a coincident superposition of reconstructed images from the multiple plates. A mechanism is provided for moving the plates along their path such that images projected from the system in the Fraunhofer diffraction region represent the composite image from successively different illuminated multiple plates or the reconstructed image from a single plate. Both monochromatic and multi-color channel phase plates may be used in the system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of fabricating an optical fiber-processing phase mask in which a stitching error ascribable to a deterioration in the wavelength selectivity of the optical fiber diffraction grating to be fabricated is reduced. At an exposure step, a writing stage 5 with a phase mask blank 10 placed thereon is continuously fed in one direction while portions of the phase mask blank corresponding to grooves 26 or strips 27 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feeding are sequentially scanned with writing beams 14, whereby the entire area of the phase mask blank 10 to be written is continuously written.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element has a plurality of step-like patterns each having surface levels of a number less than eight, the step-like patterns being disposed in combination to provide a function of a step-like structure of eight or more levels.

Abstract: The invention is a double chirped mirror and a method of constructing a double chirped mirror for a frequency range of electromagnetic radiation, comprising specifying a design including a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers being transparent to the electromagnetic radiation and having refractive indices which vary between layers in the plurality of layers, and wherein for a first set of layers the optical thickness of alternate layers in the set of layers varies monotonically and the total optical thickness of a layer and the two adjacent half layers in the set of layers varies monotonically. The design is optimized by adjusting the optical thickness of layers in the plurality of layers.

Abstract: A variable magnification optical system includes at least three optical units which are a first moving optical unit, a fixed optical unit and a second moving optical unit. The three optical units are arranged in that order in a propagation direction of light, and a variation of magnification is effected by a relative movement between the first moving optical unit and the second moving optical unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method of viewing pairs of perspective images of 3-D objects (i.e. stereoscopic image pairs) displayed from a CRT display surface in a time-multiplexed or field-sequential manner, and more particularly to a universal method of generating control signals for synchronously changing the optical state of liquid crystal (LC) shutter panels through which the time-multiplexed perspective. images can be sequentially viewed in a substantially flicker-free manner by the left and right eyes of a human viewer, independent of whether the images are displayed on NTSC, PAL, VGA or SVGA styled CRT display devices.

Abstract: Disclosed are a sleeve for abutting, aligning, and retaining opposed optical connector ferrules and methods for the production thereof. The sleeve has a tubular body provided at three points on the inner wall surface thereof with ridges of an arcuate cross section extending from one to the other end of the tubular body in the longitudinal direction thereof and a slit formed therein in the longitudinal direction thereof. The sleeve is formed of an amorphous alloy possessing at least a glass transition region, preferably a glass transition region of not less than 30 K in temperature width.

Abstract: A cartridge for holding a hologram-image recording medium for use with a hologram-image recording apparatus, including locating means for properly positioning said cartridge, for sequentially exposing and recording interference fringes generated by an object laser beam modulated in accordance with each element image of parallax images and a reference laser beam having coherency with respect to the object laser beam is provided. The cartridge includes a light shielding case capable of shielding external light from inside the cartridge. The case also defines an unreeling opening. A core is positioned within the cartridge around which the hologram recording medium is wound. The hologram recording medium is unreeled from the core to an exposing and recording portion of the hologram-image recording apparatus through the unreeling opening when the cartridge is mounted on the hologram-image recording apparatus.

Abstract: A diffraction grating that achieves high diffraction efficiency at all polarizations for optical signals at telecommunications wavelengths is provided. The diffraction grating has a substrate and a plurality of reflective faces oriented at respective blaze angles &thgr;b spaced along the substrate surface, with the blaze angles substantially differ from the Littrow condition. Each reflective surface is supported by a support wall connected substantially with the substrate surface.

Abstract: A three dimensional display is provided which can. operate in an autostereoscopic mode, requiring no viewing aid, and a stereoscopic mode, requiring a viewing aid such as polarized spectacles. In the autostereosocopic mode, light from illuminators is imaged by lenses through LCD display panels at regions where the left and right eyes of an observer are located. Thus, a two dimensional image displayed on one panel is visible to the right eye of the observer whereas a two dimensional image displayed by the other panel to visible to the left eye of the observer. In the stereoscopic mode, light from the illuminators through the LCD panels is visible throughout an extended region by both eyes of the observer. However, the light from the panels is polarized in mutually perpendicular directions and the spectacles comprise polarizers for the left and right eyes which substantially pass only light corresponding to the left and right images, respectively.

Abstract: An optical sighting system includes at least one optical channel with which there is associated at least one reticle. The reticle includes at least one mark which demarcates a blind spot, which is visible to an observer using the optical sighing system and which is centered approximately about a centering point that is situated substantially at a distance which is representative of a sighting angle of between 13° and 18°, with respect to a predetermined direction of observation along a first direction. This first direction is representative on the optical sighting system of the direction passing substantially by the centers of the eyes of an observer who is using the optical sighting system.

Abstract: Novel apparatus for simultaneous spatial modulation of a set of angularly multiplexed individually coherent but mutually incoherent optical beams is disclosed, comprising means for generating a set of two or more individually coherent beams that have at least one optical wavelength in common, pairwise, and are assured to be mutually incoherent, and means for directing the set of individually coherent but mutually incoherent beams to a spatial modulation means, such that a spatially overlapping group of individually coherent but mutually incoherent beams overlap spatially in at least one region of the spatial modulation means and are angularly multiplexed within the region. Such simultaneous spatial modulation is a key feature, for example, in highly multiplexed photonic interconnection, memory, and display systems with maximum optical throughput efficiency and minimum crosstalk, based on parallel incoherent/coherent double angularly multiplexed holographic recording and readout principles.

Abstract: A free-space wireless optical communication system is disclosed that utilizes a telescope design having aspherical mirrors, such as a Ritchey-Chretien (RC) telescope. RC telescopes are characterized by a concave primary mirror and a convex secondary mirror each having a hyperbolic shape. The disclosed mirror configuration provides a larger focal plane that allows for automatic alignment between a transmitter and receiver with a stationary or fixed mirror design, further contributing to a lower fabrication cost. Among other benefits, the larger focal plane permits an n×n fiber array to be positioned in the focal plane of the RC optical telescope, thereby enabling point-to-multipoint communications with a single optical telescope. Each fiber in the n×n fiber array of a transmitting telescope can be focused on a different receiving telescope in a wireless optical communication system.