Abstract: A light control film includes a plurality of substantially parallel optical cavities. Each of the optical cavities has a height H along a thickness direction of the light control film and a minimum lateral dimension W along an in-plane width direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, where H?W. The optical cavities are substantially filled with a liquid including a plurality of light absorbing particles configured to move along the thickness direction in response to one or more applied signals or fields such that the movement along the thickness direction causes each of the optical cavities to transition between a substantially opaque state and a substantially transparent state. A full viewing angle of the light control film increases when the optical cavities transition from the substantially opaque state to the substantially transparent state.

Abstract: An optical component includes a substrate and a plurality of structures formed on a first major surface of the substrate and extending from the first major surface along a thickness direction of the optical component. The optical component can be assembled with another optical component to form a light control film. A light control film includes first and second optical components including respective pluralities of first and second structures formed on, and extending from, respective first and second substrates. The first and second optical components are assembled so that the first and second structures are disposed between the first and second substrates and interleaved to form a plurality of pairs of adjacent first and second structures. For each of at least some of the pairs, the adjacent first and second structures define an optical cavity therebetween substantially filled with a light absorbing material.

Abstract: A reflective polarizer has a transmittance for a first polarization state having a band edge separating a first wavelength range extending at least from about 450 nm to about 900 nm and a second wavelength range extending at least from about 1100 nm to about 1300 nm. For the first polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range less than about 10% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%; and for a second polarization state, the reflective polarizer has an average transmittance in the first wavelength range greater than about 40% and an average transmittance in the second wavelength range greater than about 80%. A display system includes the reflective polarizer and an infrared light source configured to emit an infrared light having a wavelength W1. The band edge has a band edge wavelength W2>W1.

Abstract: An optical construction includes a reflective polarizer and an optically diffusive film disposed on the reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer includes an outer layer including a plurality of first particles partially protruding from a first major surface thereof to form a structured major surface. A first optically diffusive layer is conformably disposed on the structured major surface. The optically diffusive film includes a second optically diffusive layer including a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed therein, and a structured layer including a structured major surface. For a substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range from about 450 nm to about 650 nm and an infrared wavelength range from about 930 nm to about 970 nm, the second optically diffusive layer has an average specular transmittance Vs in the visible wavelength range and an average specular transmittance Is in the infrared wavelength range, where Is/Vs?2.5.

Abstract: An optical system for examining an optical characteristic of a test material at at least a first wavelength includes an elongated hollow structure elongated along a length thereof and having one or more walls extending along the length of the hollow structure and defining an elongated chamber therebetween configured to receive the test material. The elongated hollow structure includes at least a first light opening, such that for the at least the first wavelength, the one or more walls have an optical reflectance of greater than about 50% for incident angles of up to at least 40 degrees, and at least one of the at least the first light opening has an optical transmittance of greater than about 50% for at least one incident angle.

Abstract: An optical construction includes a first chamber including one or more first walls disposed inside a second chamber including one or more second walls. The first chamber includes a first top and an opposite closed first bottom. The second chamber includes an open second top proximate the open first top and an opposite second bottom proximate the closed first bottom. At least a portion of the one or more second walls includes a plurality of microlayers numbering at least 20 in total. The at least the portion of the one or more second walls faces, and is spaced apart by a non-zero gap from, a corresponding at least a portion of the one or more first walls. The non-zero gap is filled with a material having a lower index of refraction than at least an outermost surface of the at least the portion of the one or more second walls.

Abstract: A polymer matrix composite comprising a porous polymeric network; and a plurality of functional particles distributed within the polymeric network structure, and wherein the polymer matrix composite has an air flow resistance at 25° C., as measured by the “Air Flow Resistance Test,” of less than 300 seconds/50 cm3/500 micrometers; and wherein the polymer matrix composite has a density of at least 0.3 g/cm3; and methods for making the same. The polymer matrix composites are useful, for example, as filters.

Abstract: An optical well is configured to receive a test sample for examining an optical characteristic of the sample at a first wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range. The optical well includes a wall having a bottom wall portion and a sidewall portion defining a chamber for receiving the test sample, and an optical film formed into a shape so that a portion of the sidewall portion includes a first portion of the optical film, and a portion of the bottom wall portion includes a second portion of the optical film. For a normally incident light, the microlayers in each of the first and second portions have an average optical reflectance of greater than about 80% in the predetermined wavelength range. The forming results in the plurality of microlayers of the integral formed optical film having a thinnest portion and a thickest portion having a thickness difference of at least 30%.

Abstract: A housing (185) for an electronic device (170) includes an optical film (100) having an optical transmittance for substantially normally incident light having a band edge separating first and second wavelength ranges, where the first wavelength range extends from about 400 nm to about 700 nm and the second wavelength range is at least about 100 nm wide and disposed between about 800 nm and about 1100 nm. For substantially normally incident light, an average optical reflectance of the optical film is greater than about 90% in the first wavelength range, and an average optical transmittance of the optical film is greater than about 80% in the second wavelength range. For at least one frequency in a range of about 0.1 GHz to about 90 GHz and for substantially normally incident radiation, the optical film transmits at least about 95% of the incident radiation.

Abstract: A polymer matrix composite comprising a porous polymeric network; and a plurality of dielectric particles distributed within the polymeric network structure; wherein the dielectric particles are present in a range from 5 to 98 weight percent, based on the total weight of the dielectric particles and the polymer (excluding the solvent); and wherein the polymer matrix composite has a dielectric constant in a range from 1.05 to 80; and methods for making the same. Polymer matrix composites comprising dielectric particles are useful, for example, as electric field insulators.

Abstract: A display system includes visible light emitting first devices configured to emit a first light having at least a first visible wavelength; ultraviolet light emitting second devices configured to emit a second light having at least a second ultraviolet wavelength; a display panel disposed on the first and second devices; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the display panel and the first and second devices, such that the reflective polarizer has, for the visible wavelength, an average optical reflectance of greater than about 50% when an incident light is polarized along an in-plane first direction and an average optical transmittance of greater than about 50% when the incident light is polarized along an in-plane orthogonal second direction; and an optical transmission of greater than about 30% for the at least the second wavelength and for at least one of the first and second polarization states.

Abstract: An optical stack includes stacked first and second light redirecting layers, each light redirecting layer including a plurality of truncated first structures, each truncated first structure with opposing side surfaces making an angle of between about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees with each other and a substantially planar top surface joining the opposing side surfaces, and a plurality of untruncated second structures, each untruncated second structure with opposing side surfaces making an angle of between about 60 degrees to about 120 degrees with each other and meeting at peak, wherein the peaks of the untruncated second structures and the substantially planar top surfaces of the first truncated structures substantially lie in the same plane.

Abstract: Optical films and stacks include at least one optically diffusive layer. The optically diffusive layer can include a plurality of nanoparticles and a polymeric material bonding the nanoparticles to each other to form a plurality of nanoparticle aggregates defining a plurality of voids therebetween. For substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range from about 450 nm to about 650 nm and an infrared wavelength range from about 930 nm to about 970 nm: in the visible wavelength range, the optical film or optically diffusive layer has an average specular transmittance Vs; and in the infrared wavelength range, the optical film or optically diffusive layer has an average total transmittance It and an average specular transmittance Is, Is/It?0.6, Is/Vs?2.5.

Abstract: An optically diffusive film includes an optical substrate layer with opposing first and second major surfaces; and an optical layer disposed on the second major surface of the optical substrate layer and including a structured major surface having a plurality of spaced apart elongated structures elongated along a same first direction and arranged at a substantially uniform density, each elongated structure including a peak such that, in a plane of a cross-section of the elongated structure that is parallel to the first direction and comprises the peak, the elongated structure has a substantially flat top region; wherein for substantially normally incident light and a visible wavelength range and an infrared wavelength range, the optical substrate layer has an average total transmittance or reflectance of greater than about 60% in the visible wavelength range and an average specular transmittance of greater than about 60% in the infrared wavelength range.

Abstract: A display system for sensing a finger of a user applied to the display system includes a display panel; a sensor for sensing the finger; a sensing light source configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength W1; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the display panel and the sensor. For a substantially normally incident light, an optical transmittance of the reflective polarizer versus wavelength for a first polarization state has a band edge such that for a first wavelength range extending from a smaller wavelength L1 to a greater wavelength L2 and including W1, where 30 mn?L2?L1?50 nm and L1 is greater than and within about 20 nm of a wavelength L3 corresponding to an optical transmittance of about 50% along the band edge, the optical transmittance has an average of greater than about 75%.

Abstract: A polymer matrix composite includes a porous polymeric network structure; and a plurality of acoustically active particles distributed within the polymeric network structure. The weight fraction of acoustically active particles is between 0.80 and 0.99, based on the total weight of the polymer matrix composite. The polymer matrix composite has an air flow resistance of less than 100 seconds/50 mL/500 ?m.

Abstract: A recycling optical cavity is defined at least by first and second optical films and is configured to receive a test material therein. The test material is configured to emit at least a second light having a second wavelength when irradiated with a first light having a first wavelength. For at least one of s- and p-polarized incident lights incident in an incident plane, and at the first and second wavelengths: at a first incident angle, the first optical film has respective optical transmittances T11(?1) and T12(?1), and the second optical film has respective optical transmittances T21(?1) and T22(?1), wherein T11(?1)>T12(?1), T21(?1), T22(?1); and at a second incident angle, the first optical film has respective optical transmittances T11(?2) and T12(?2), and the second optical film has respective optical transmittances T21(?2) and T22(?2), wherein T21(?2)>T11(?2), T12(?2), T22(?2).

Abstract: A display system includes visible light-emitting first devices and infrared light-emitting second devices, infrared light-detecting third devices, an optically reflecting first film between the third devices and the first and second devices, and an optically reflecting second film between the first film and third devices. The optically reflecting second film defines first openings aligned with the third devices in a one-to-one correspondence. The first devices emit a first wavelength in a visible wavelength range, and the second devices are configured to emit a second wavelength in an infrared wavelength range. The third devices are configured to detect the second wavelength. The first film has an average reflectance of greater than 60% for the visible wavelength range, and an average transmittance of greater than 50% for the infrared wavelength range. The second film has an average reflectance of greater than 60% for the visible and infrared wavelength ranges.

Abstract: A magnetic shielding film includes opposing first and second major surfaces and a plurality of particles dispersed therebetween, each particle having a magnetic permeability, a thickness H along a thickness direction of the particle, and a longest dimension L along a length direction of the particle orthogonal to the thickness direction, L/H greater than or equal to 2, the particles defining a plurality of voids therebetween, the length directions of at least 60% of the particles oriented within 5.5 degrees of a same orientation direction.

Abstract: Polymer matrix composite comprising a porous polymeric network; and a plurality of thermally conductive particles distributed within the polymeric network structure; wherein the thermally conductive particles are present in a range from 15 to 99 weight percent, based on the total weight of the thermally conductive particles and the polymer (excluding the solvent); and wherein the polymer matrix composite has a density of at least 0.3 g/cm3; and methods for making the same. The polymer matrix composites are useful, for example, in electronic devices.