Abstract: The invention relates to an optical switching element for altering the propagation direction of at least one light beam, comprising a transparent base body (21), said base body being provided with a recess (20) for forming at least one boundary surface (19) between an optically denser medium and an optically more translucent medium. The incident light strikes this boundary surface (19). The recess (20) is filled partly with a liquid (26) and contains a moveable body (16). The liquid (26) and the moveable body (16) have approximately the same refractive index as the transparent base body. To switch the switching element (15) to a transmitting switching state, the moveable body is positioned in the recess in such a way that the gap between the boundary surface and the surface of the moveable body is filled completely with the liquid. If the moveable body is positioned in the recess in such a way that the boundary surface is free of the liquid, the incident light is reflected on said boundary surface.

Abstract: A lens includes a medium which absorbs laser radiation that may be harmful to the eye or other high gain optics raising its temperature and thereby changing its index of refraction, adjacent to a medium which does not absorb that radiation thereby providing a spatially fluctuating variation in total phase change, which causes interference and thermal blooming that disperses the radiation sufficiently to lower the intensity at the retinal spot (or optics to be protected) below that which would cause damage. Or, reflective surfaces on absorbing material have the same effect. Volumes which absorb or reflect laser radiation of a given band of frequencies are interspersed with volumes which do not absorb or reflect laser radiation of that given band of frequencies; the second volumes may be non-absorbing and non-reflecting, or may absorb laser radiation of a second band of frequencies.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to reduce the size of a camera by the provision of a zoom lens system which has a high zoom ratio and a small telephoto ratio at the wide-angle and telephoto end, and is simple in lens arrangement and reduced in size during lens collapsing. The zoom lens system comprises a positive first lens group G1, a positive second lens group G2 and a negative third lens group G3. For zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end of the system, each lens group moves toward the object side while a spacing between the first lens group and the second lens group becomes wide and a spacing between the second lens group and the third lens group becomes narrow. The first lens group G1 comprises at least one set of a negative lens and a positive lens. The second lens group G2 includes an aperture stop and comprises at least one set of a negative lens and a positive lens. The third lens group G3 comprises one set of a positive lens and a negative lens.

Abstract: A wide-angle zoom lens system having a short optical total length not only at the wide-angle end but also at the telephoto end and a reduced telephoto ratio despite the fact that it has a high zoom ratio, with a view to achieving a reduction in size of cameras. The zoom lens system has a first lens unit G1 of positive refractive power, a second lens unit G2 of negative refractive power, a third lens unit G3 of positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit G4 of negative refractive power. When the zoom lens system is zoomed from the wide-angle side to the telephoto side, each of the lens units moves toward the object side such that the space between the first lens unit G1 and the second lens unit G2 increases, whereas the space between the third lens unit G3 and the fourth lens unit G4 decreases.

Abstract: A Galileo type stereomicroscope permits an observer to change its eye-level by varying a space between an objective lens and a pair of a focal variable magnification lenses. The Galileo type stereomicroscope satisfies following condition: Z>f0/3, where Z denotes a variable range of the eye-level and f0 denotes a focal length of an objective lens to be used. The objective lens for the Galileo type stereomicroscope keeps imaging quality up to a periphery of an image field while the eye-level is changed.

Abstract: A polarization converter, and a projection-type display device using the same, is disclosed having two or more comb polarization-separation prism arrays that are arranged, with regard to the alignment of alternating polarizing beam splitter films and reflection films on adjacent prism surfaces, in rows that are non-parallel to one another. Each comb polarization-separation prism array is formed by adjacent prisms arranged in a row such that each adjacent prism has, on one surface thereof, either a polarizing beam-splitter film or a reflection film, with these films being arranged alternately in said row. Preferable, the angle between the rows of the two or more comb polarization-separation prism arrays is substantially 90 degrees.

Abstract: In an optical element (B1) prepared by integrally forming, on surfaces of a transparent member, a refracting surface (R2) for receiving a light beam, a plurality of reflecting surfaces (R3, R4, R5) with curvatures, and a refracting surface (R6) for outputting the light beam reflected by the plurality of reflecting surfaces, a reference portion (7) for defining the position of the optical element in a predetermined direction with respect to a Y′-Z′ plane including an incident reference axis (5) and an exit reference axis (5) of at least one reflecting surface of the optical element (B1) is formed on the optical element.

Abstract: A light beam steering device includes a mirror plate that is mechanically coupled directly (or indirectly) to an optically transmissive substrate by flexures that permit the mirror plate to tilt around a plurality of axes when electrodes are controlled to cause the mirror plate tilting. The optically transmissive substrate is spaced apart from a device substrate so that the mirror plate is between the optically transmissive and device substrates. Electrically conductive electrodes are formed on the device substrate opposite the mirror plate. The direction towards a target of the reflected portion of a light beam that is incident on the mirror plate can be monitored and adjusted using a photodetector array. A plurality of optical (e.g. fiber optic) inputs can direct light to an array of such light beam steering devices, which in turn target a plurality of optical (e.g. fiber optic) outputs.

Abstract: A compact, lightweight and bright image display apparatus which uses a non-telecentric optical system, or a decentered optical system and a reflection-type image display device, such as a reflection-type LCD, to have high optical performance. The image display apparatus comprises an image display device, and an ocular optical system which leads an image formed by the image display device to an eye point of an observer without forming an intermediate image so that the image can be observed as a virtual image. The ocular optical system comprises a decentered optical system having at least one decentered back-coated reflecting surface. The image display device is a reflection-type image display device which displays an image by reflection of illumination light. An illumination means for forming the illumination light is arranged outside an optical path between the reflection-type image display device and the eye point of the observer.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided with a focus error signal generating means which is adapted to calculate a first output sum signal obtained by adding together an output signal fed front one portion of the second light receiving means and an output signal fed from one portion of the third light receiving means, and to calculate a second output sum signal obtained by adding together an output signal fed from the other portion of the second light receiving leans and an output signal fed from the other portion of the third light receiving means, so as to calculate a difference between the first output sum signal and the second output sum signal, thereby producing a focus error signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope eyepiece with theoretically reduced astigmatism in a compensating optical system. The inventive eyepiece has 10× magnification, a sight field (SFZ)≦25 and a Petzval sum (SP) of 0.014≦SP≦0.021. Said eyepiece comprises a special field lens placed in front of a field stop and a negative lens in the eye lens section placed behind said field stop. The inventive field lens is embodied in the form of a simple, thick, positively diffracting meniscus which is convex in relation to the field stop and provided with the following field lens factor: 0.95≦beta′≦1.05. The eye lens section can be displaced in relation to the field stop to enable diotropic adjustment. Special, advantageous embodiments of the field lens and examples of embodiments of the microscope eyepiece, complete with structural data, are described.

Abstract: A zoom lens is enabled to favorably correct aberrations even when a vibration-proofing operation is performed, despite high magnification thereof. This zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens unit of negative refractive power, a second lens unit of positive refractive power, a third lens unit of positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit of negative refractive power. When performing zooming from a wide-angle end of this zoom lens to a telephoto end thereof, both of the spacing between the first and second lens units increases, and the spacing between the second and third lens units increase, while the spacing between the third and fourth lens units decreases. Further, an image of an object is displaced by moving the first lens unit or a part of the second lens unit in such a manner as to have a component perpendicular to an optical axis. Thus, an image blur is corrected when the zoom lens vibrates.

Abstract: A variable viewing depth endoscope comprises, successively from the object side, a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power and a second lens group G2 which has positive refractive power and is movable along the optical axis are arranged. Focusing at the near point side is made possible by moving the second lens group G2 to the object side, and focusing at a far point side is made possible by moving the second lens group G2 to an image side. The composite focal length fN during near point viewing is made shorter than a composite focal length fF of a whole system during far point viewing.

Abstract: A zoom lens system including a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a negative third lens group, in this order from the object, and thereby upon zooming, the three lens groups independently move along the optical axis. On the other hand, upon focusing, the first and second lens groups, which move independently upon zooming, move integrally along the optical axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to electrochromic assemblies having a layer structure, characterized in that one layer is an electrically conductive, electrochromic polydioxythiophene and a further layer is an ion-storage compound selected or a mixture of ion-storage compounds of the formulae (I) to (XIV). Me1O (I) Me1(OH)2 (IX) Me1OX (II) Me1O(OH) (X) MXMe1O (III) MMe1O2 (XI) MXMe1O2 (IV) Me1O2 (XII) MxMe1Oy (V) Me12O3 (XIII) Me2O3 (VI) Me12O3.H2O (XIV) MXMe2O3 (VII) MXMe2(1−x)O3 (VIII) where Me1 and Me2 each represent a metal transition group VI or VII of the Mendeleev Periodic Table, M represents a metal of main group I of the Mendeleev Periodic Table or a proton, x represents a number from 0.001 to 5, y represents a number from 0.001 to 5.

Abstract: An external analog modulation system is described, comprising an electro-optical modulator with a double output and a driving circuit.

Abstract: An optical member for transmitting light of a wavelength less than about 200 nm including crystalline calcium fluoride with a potassium content less than about 0.5 ppm, wherein a degradation in a transmissivity of the optical member after an irradiation for a fixed period of time with the light of the wavelength of less than about 200 nm is less than about 5% of a transmissivity of the optical member before the irradiation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and lubricant composition for an adjustable wedge that utilizes the relative positioning of adjacently disposed convex and concave surfaces with equal spherical or cylindrical curvatures contacted together by a thin layer of lubricant.

Abstract: A computer-readable signal bearing medium (10) has components (11, 21, 31) which act via a data processor (86) in an imaging system having an acoustic energy source (81) and a birefringent detector (84, 70) to record first data (14) from a first portion (61) of an object (60), the first portion attenuating first acoustic energy (12) at least part way to a first attenuation maximum (13, 43) along a first acousto-optic response (41) of the birefringent detector; to record second data (24) from a second portion (62) of the object, the second portion attenuating second acoustic energy (22) at least part way to a second attenuation maximum (23, 53) along a second acousto-optic response (51) of the birefringent detector; combines the data (32), and outputs a result.

Abstract: A spatial light modulation device is formed by creating forming an electromagnetic field within a substrate with at least one movable element, fixedly attached to the substrate at a first end, from a soft magnetic material with an anisotropic stress created within the movable element such that the element exists in a first position as a result of the anistropic stress and an actuating device comprising a magnetic layer placed within close correspondence with the soft magnetic material for placing the soft magnetic material into a second position.