Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new apparatus and method for providing a wide field-of-view as well as illumination uniformity in exit pupil expanders (EPE) using stacked EPE substrates (or plates) with non-symmetric exit pupil expansion that use a plurality of diffractive elements for expanding the exit pupil of a display for viewing.

Abstract: A light concentration device includes: a plate including two principal faces and an edge between the two principal faces, a refractive index gradient existing between the two principal faces, and a diffraction grating functioning in reflection or semi-reflection that cooperates with one of the principal faces of the plate having the highest refractive index, the principal face having the lowest refractive index forming a front entry face for the light, at least one exit zone for the light being disposed on the edge.

Abstract: A cover unit includes a first cover that is movable between a cover position and an exposed position. A second cover slidably is movable in a direction perpendicular to its visible surface. A cover moving mechanism moves the second cover, wherein, when the first cover is at the cover position, the second cover is at such a height that the visible surface of the second cover is substantially coplanar with a visible surface of the first cover. When the first cover is moved from the cover position to the exposed position, the second cover is moved to such a height such that the visible surface of the second cover is moved by at least an amount that corresponds with the thickness of the first cover. When the first cover is at the exposed position, the first cover is above the visible surface of the second cover.

Abstract: An optical device exhibiting a color shift upon rotation is disclosed. The optical device has a textured surface having a relief structure finer than a human eye resolution but large enough not to exhibit diffraction effects. The textured surface is coated with an interference thin film that exhibits a color shift with tilt. A uniform color seen at one angle of rotation changes to another uniform color when the optical device is rotated in its own plane. A method of manufacturing of such an optical device, as well as the use of the optical device as an optical security and authentication element, is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical security marking component producing a first visible configuration when observed through a polarizer oriented in a first orientation, and a second configuration, separate from the first, visible when observed through the polarizer oriented in a second orientation, the optical component comprising a stamped film for forming at least two diffraction gratings having different orientations, characterized in that each of said gratings has a period of less than 550 nm and a modulation between 0.25 and 0.5 relative to a reference plane.

Abstract: An optical beam splitter for use in an optoelectronic module and method are provided. The optical beam splitter is configured to split a main beam produced by a laser into at least first and second light portions that have different optical power levels. The first light portion, which is to be coupled into an end of a transmit optical fiber of an optical communications link, has an optical power level that is within eye safety limits and yet has sufficient optical power to avoid signal degradation problems. The optical power level of the first light portion is less than the optical power level of the second light portion. The optical beam splitter is capable of being implemented in a unidirectional or a bidirectional optical link.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a sample holder for a microscope. The sample holder comprises a sample chamber which is filled with an immersion liquid and in which a sample is located. The sample chamber has an upper opening. It further comprises means for translating the sample relative to a detection objective of the microscope, and means for rotating the sample around an axis of rotation extending in a substantially horizontal plane which encloses an angle other than zero degrees with the optical axis of the detection objective. In a sample holder of this kind, the sample is embedded in a transparent embedding medium having at least partially a greater solidity than the immersion liquid. Further, the sample chamber has means for horizontally supporting the embedded sample against the effect of gravity.

Abstract: Optical devices using double-groove diffraction gratings having periodic sets of TiO2 elements on one or more surfaces of an SiO2 substrate are disclosed. First order components of incident polarized light coupled into the substrate are reflected so as to propagate through the substrate to terminus points where they either change direction for further propagation or exit the substrate. A windshield display system using the principles of the invention is disclosed.

Abstract: A light adjusting apparatus includes a substrate (10, 40) having an aperture, a plurality of incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c) each moving in a same plane, and a plurality of driving units (50a, 50b, 50c) respectively driving the incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c), and adjusts an incident light passing through the aperture by mutually moving the incident light adjusting units (20a, 20b, 20c) with the driving units to an aperture position that is center-aligned with the aperture and a retracted position that is retracted from the aperture. An incident light adjusting unit that is moved to the aperture position is positioned by contacting with at least one of other incident light adjusting units that are retracted from the aperture.

Abstract: An optical reflection element includes a mirror portion and an oscillator coupled to the mirror portion. The oscillator includes a base, an insulating layer, a drive element, and a monitor element. The insulating layer is formed on the base. The drive element and the monitor element are formed on the insulating layer, and are separated from each other by a separation groove. Each of the drive element and the monitor element includes a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode layer formed in that order on the insulating layer. The monitor element has high detection accuracy, allowing the optical reflection element to perform self-excited driving with high accuracy.

Abstract: A retro-reflector for image-guided operation systems, comprising eight cube corners, wherein the tips of the cube corners are adjacent to each other and each cube corner is formed from three reflective faces, comprising a protection against contamination which prevents dirt from being deposited in the cube corners.

Abstract: A biaxial scanning mirror for an image forming apparatus includes a first wafer, a second wafer, and a spacer. The first wafer includes a mirror unit, a rectangular rotating unit, a permanent magnet, and a magnetically permeable layer. The second wafer has at least two cores each surrounded by a planar coil applied with an AC current for switching magnetic polarization of the cores such that the cores are attracted to or repelled from the rotating unit alternatively, thereby driving the rotating unit to rotate.

Abstract: A micro shutter device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A barrier is provided to define a unit pixel. Film actuators are formed within the unit pixel. The film actuators are configured to be bent in opposite directions to each other from a substrate so that light passing through the substrate from an external light source is blocked in a voltage non-applied state, and to be straightened perpendicularly to the substrate so that the light is transmitted upon voltage application. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the aperture ratio and thus improve the light efficiency. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce voltage necessary to drive the film actuators and thus increase the drive speed.

Abstract: A projecting lens for projecting a light of an image generating device onto a screen is provided. The image generating device has a light valve. The projecting lens includes a first lens group and a second lens group. The first lens group has an imaging optical axis and a first effective refractive power. The second lens group has a second effective refractive power, and is disposed between the first lens group and the light valve. The light projected from the light valve to the second lens group generates an intermediate image, which is focused on the screen via the first lens group to form an image. A center of the image and a center of the light valve are located on the same side of the optical axis, and a center of the intermediate image is located on the other side of the optical axis.

Abstract: A complex type microscopic device includes a slider unit moving a stage, an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope with an electron axis intersecting with an optical axis of the optical microscope, an optical measurement/observation unit having a magnification between those of the scanning electron microscope and the optical microscope and co-using an objective lens with the optical microscope, and a control unit controlling the entire device, and a display unit having a display screen. During display of a low-magnification optical microscopic image, the control unit controls the display unit to display, on the image, a representation to designate an area to be observed at a magnification of the optical measurement/observation unit, and to display, on the image, another representation to designate an area to be observed at a magnification of the scanning electron microscope during display of a high-magnification optical microscopic image.

Abstract: A solar concentrator assembly is disclosed. The solar concentrator assembly comprises a first reflective device having a first reflective front side and a first rear side, a second reflective device having a second reflective front side and a second rear side, the second reflective device positioned such that the first reflective front side faces the second rear side, and a support assembly coupled to and supporting the first and second reflective devices, the second reflective device positioned to be vertically offset from the first reflective device.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes, in order from a light source side a collector lens, a field stop, a field lens having positive power, an aperture stop, and a collective lens having positive power. The illumination optical system is a substantially both-side telecentric optical system between the field stop and a sample surface, and satisfies the following conditional expressions where DFS indicates a diameter of the field stop, ? indicates a magnification from the sample surface to the field stop, and NA indicates a numerical aperture on the sample surface side of the illumination optical system. 15?DFS/??9??(1) 0.85?NA?0.

Abstract: This invention relates to a holographic projection device with an array of mirror elements in the form of micro-mirrors. The holographic projection device comprises at least one light modulator device, which contains the array of mirror elements, for an enlargement of a reconstruction space for a reconstructed scene. Each mirror element is coupled with at least one actuator. The actuators tilt the corresponding mirror elements and/or displace them axially in at least one direction. Thereby, a wave front for the representation of a reconstructed scene is directly modulated. The holographic projection device comprises an optical system for the projection of the modulated wave front into at least one observer window in an observer plane.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for surface structuring, that is to say, for meaning forming at least one array of patterns with a submillimeter scale characteristic lateral dimension on a flat surface of a product comprising a substrate bearing at least one layer resulting from a sol-gel process, where the structuring is done hot with a hydrolyzed sol layer based on alkoxides and/or halide(s) of at least one metal chosen among Si, Ti, Zr, W, Sb, Hf, Ta, V, Mg, Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Sn, Zn, and Ce with a nonreactive organic group, where the structuring is carried out by contact with a structured mask and exerting pressure as needed, and where the structuring is carried out in a temperature range suited for a sufficient condensation threshold ensuring the thermal hold of the structuring, with a total structuring time less than or equal to two hours. The invention also covers the resulting product.

Abstract: An optical system is described for merging a first and a second partial image beam emanating from a specimen into a resultant image beam allowing modification of the areal proportion of the respective first or second partial image beam in the resultant image beam. A stop arrangement comprises at least a first and a second movable stop element each comprising at least one stop region adapted to be brought into a working position with the first or second partial image beam. Movably arranged connecting means for connecting the two stop elements are provided to modify the respective areal proportions of the partial image beams in the resultant image beam by movement of the connecting means.