Abstract: Methods and structures are disclosed demultiplexing optical signals transmitted over an optical fiber into a silicon substrate and to multiple detectors. The silicon substrate has two spaced-apart surfaces and a diffractive element disposed adjacent to one of the surfaces. Each of the optical signals corresponds to one of multiple wavelengths. The optical signals are directed into the silicon substrate along a path through the first surface to be incident on the diffractive element. The path is oriented generally normal with the first surface and/or with the diffractive element, which angularly separates the optical signals such that each of the wavelengths traverses through the substrate in a wavelength dependent direction to the first surface. Each optical signal is steered from the first surface towards the second surface to be incident on different optical elements that direct them generally normal to the first surface to be incident on one of the detectors.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical fiber comprising a gain medium which is equipped with: a core (22) which is formed from a transparent material and nanoparticles (24) comprising a doping element and at least one element for enhancing the use of said doping element; and an outer cladding (26) which surrounds the core. The invention is characterized in that the doping element is erbium (Er) and in that the enhancing element is selected from among antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi) and a combination of antimony (Sb) and bismuth (Bi). According to the invention, one such fiber is characterized in that the size of the nanoparticles is variable and is between 1 and 500 nanometers inclusive, and preferably greater than 20 nm.

Abstract: The housing of a telecommunications cabinet can be replaced without recabling the internal components by removing a panel arrangement from a cable access region of the cabinet to reveal an open end of the cable access region that is continuous with the open side of the cabinet. The frame is uncoupled from the cabinet and the cabinet is slid away from the internal components. The fiber optic cables pass through the open end of the cable access region and through the open side of the cabinet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and transmitting high energy optical pulses are described. Distributed temperature sensors usually use Raman scattering in optical fibers as the means to determine the temperature. Here, light from a laser source is sent down a fiber and the small amount of light that is scattered back towards the source is analysed. As the fiber length increases, the resolutions of the temperature and loss measurements become poorer. This is because losses in an optical fiber attenuate the signal. An obvious solution to this problem is to launch more light into the fiber to compensate for the losses but stimulated Raman scattering limits how much light may be launched. The present invention solves this problem by using a pulse conversion method to maximize the resultant pulse energy while the power is kept below SRS threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical fiber comprising a gain medium which is equipped with: a core (22) which is formed from a transparent material and nanoparticles (24) comprising a doping element and at least one element for enhancing the use of said doping element; and an outer cladding (26) which surrounds the core. The invention is characterised in that the doping element is erbium (Er) and in that the enhancing element is selected from among antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi) and a combination of antimony (Sb) and bismuth (Bi). According to the invention, one such fiber is characterised in that the size of the nanoparticles is variable and is between 1 and 500 nanometers inclusive, and preferably greater than 20 nm.

Abstract: A printer comprising: a printhead having an ink inlet and an ink outlet; a pressure-regulating chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink conduit, the chamber containing ink at a first level below the printhead, wherein a headspace above the first level of ink is open to atmosphere; and a downstream ink conduit connected to the ink outlet and terminating above the first level of ink, the downstream ink conduit being open to atmosphere, wherein the downstream ink conduit comprises a loop section passing below the first level of ink, such that, in a printing configuration, a second level of ink in the loop is equal to the first level of ink in the chamber.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate film for optical sheets, an optical sheet and a backlight unit which can markedly enhance utilization efficiency of rays of light and dramatically increase luminance and which are suited for immediate beneath type liquid crystal display modules and the like. The present invention is characterized by a substrate film for optical sheets formed into a rectangular shape and made of a resin, in which the substrate film for optical sheets has an optical anisotropy, and the absolute value of an angle of the crystal orientation with respect to the short side orientation is ?/8 or greater and 3?/8 or less. The retardation value of the substrate film is preferably 70 nm or greater and 320 nm or less. Matrix resin constituting the substrate film is preferably polyethylene terephthalate or polycarbonate.

Abstract: An ink supply system for an inkjet printer. The ink supply system includes an ink reservoir and a pressure-regulating chamber. The pressure-regulating chamber has an inlet port, an outlet port, an air vent open to atmosphere and a float valve for maintaining a predetermined level of ink in the chamber. The float valve is biased towards a closed position by a positive ink pressure from the ink reservoir at the inlet port.

Abstract: An optical module comprises: an optical element array comprising plural optical elements that emits or receives light; and an optical waveguide comprising a clad and plural cores respectively with optical path changing portions, the cores being disposed in the clad with an interval. The optical path changing portions are optically connected to the optical elements. The optical path changing portions are arranged in a first direction having an angle with respect to a formation direction of the cores, the first direction being corresponding to an arrangement direction of said plurality of optical elements.

Abstract: Provided herein is a liquid container including a liquid containing portion for containing liquid; and a detection portion which outputs a detection signal having a frequency of about 1/odd number of a frequency of a detection signal output when the amount of liquid contained in the liquid containing portion is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, when the amount of liquid contained in the liquid containing portion is greater than the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A recording-medium-residual-quantity detecting device includes a first rotation-quantity detecting unit that detects a rotation quantity of a roll in which a recording medium is wound. A second rotation-quantity detecting unit detects a rotation quantity of a transportation roller that transports the recording medium by rotating in contact with the recording medium that is unwound from the roll. A controlling unit has a winding control mode in which driving units of the device are controlled so that rotational powers to wind the recording medium into the roll without slack between the roll and the transportation roller are applied to the roll and the transportation roller. The residual quantity of the recording medium is calculated on the basis of a rotation quantity ?r of the roll and a rotation quantity ?s of the transportation roller that are respectively detected by the rotation-quantity detecting units when the winding control mode is executed.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector and a fiber optic adapter are disclosed that are manually connectable and disconnectable with each other by a slideable latching means. The fiber optic connector includes an end defining a plug portion. The plug portion holds a ferrule and also directly engages a port on the fiber optic adapter. The plug portion includes a protrusion which also forms a latch catch. The port of the fiber optic adapter includes a flexible retention latch within a slot. The slot engages the protrusion and thus rotationally aligns the fiber optic connector and adapter. The flexible retention latch snaps into and out of the latch catch when the plug portion of the fiber optic connector is slid into and out of the port of the fiber optic adapter thus providing the slideable latching means. Angled retaining surfaces are provided on the retention latch and the latch catch that engage each other. Angles defining the angled retaining surfaces are chosen to provide desired holding and release characteristics.

Abstract: A pressure regulating mechanism which includes a pressure regulating chamber that introduces a liquid from a liquid supply source through an inlet port, stores the liquid, and discharges the stored liquid to an object through an outlet port, an on/off valve, a pressure receiving member that is provided to seal an opening surface of the pressure regulating chamber, a reduced-pressure space portion adjacent to the regulating chamber with a pressure that may be reduced to be less than the pressure of the pressure regulating chamber, and a partition wall disposed between the pressure regulating chamber and reduced-pressure space portion, wherein gas is capable of passing through the partition wall using the a difference in pressure between the reduced-pressure space and pressure regulating chamber and discharged to the reduced-pressure space portion.

Abstract: A nozzle plate includes: a plate substrate in which a nozzle is formed, ink being ejected through an ejection port of the nozzle in the plate substrate; and a p-type doped layer which forms a whole perimeter of an edge portion defining an inner perimeter of the ejection port of the nozzle in the plate substrate.

Abstract: Provided are a hollow mold for receiving a liquid crystal panel and a diffuser plate, the hollow mold capable of automating an assembling process of a liquid crystal display (LCD) and fixing a reflective sheet, and an LCD including the hollow mold. The hollow mold includes an outer side surface; a top surface; an inner side surface comprising a first step which is formed in a stepped shape, defines an upper receiving space and performs a supporting function, a second step which defines a lower receiving space and performs the supporting function, and an inclined surface which slopes downward from the second step; and a bottom surface.

Abstract: A fiber laser having at least one pair of reflectors coupled to an optical fiber, the at least one pair of reflectors defining an optical cavity between the at least one pair of reflectors and being configured to reflect light within the optical cavity. At least one light pump is coupled to the optical fiber and configured to provide pump light into the optical cavity, and at least one medium is positioned within the optical cavity and configured to generate signal light from the pump light in the optical cavity. Further, at least one grating positioned within the optical cavity and configured to couple the signal light out of the optical cavity.

Abstract: A priming system for priming an inkjet printhead having an ink inlet, an ink outlet and a plurality of nozzles, the priming system comprising: an ink chamber having an outlet port connected to the ink inlet via an upstream ink line; an air pump having a pump outlet communicating with a headspace above the ink in the ink chamber; a sensor positioned for sensing ink in a downstream ink line connected to the ink outlet, the sensor cooperating with the pump such that the pump is shut off when the sensor senses any ink; and means for minimizing phantom sensing of ink caused by ink bubbles in the downstream ink line, wherein, in a priming configuration, the pump is configured to positively pressurize the headspace until the sensor senses ink.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for imaging using a double-clad fiber is described.

Abstract: The effect of bending is anticipated in an optical fiber design, so that resonant coupling remains an effective strategy for suppressing HOMs. The index profile of the fiber and its bend radius are configured so that there is selective resonant coupling of at least one HOM, but not the fundamental mode, in the bent segment of the fiber. In an illustrative embodiment, the core and cladding regions are configured to support the propagation of signal light in a fundamental transverse mode and at least one higher-order transverse mode in the core region. The cladding region includes an outer cladding region and an annular trench region. The trench region includes at least one axially extending, raised-index pedestal (waveguide) region having a refractive index higher than that of the outer cladding region.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a two-dimensional photonic crystal in which conditions for both the TE-polarized light and the TM-polarized light can be easily satisfied. A body includes a first area having a triangular lattice pattern arrangement of a circular hole and a second area having a triangular lattice pattern arrangement of an equilateral triangular holes. Therefore, the TE-PBG which is a photonic band gap (PBG) for the TE-polarized light is created in the first area, and the TM-PBG which is a PBG for the TM-polarized light is created in the second area. Parameters such as the period and size of the holes can be independently set for the first area and the second area, so that an energy region common to the TE-PBG and the TM-PBG (i.e. absolute PBG) can be made larger and easily created.