Abstract: A thin-film interference filter has a thin-film interference multi-layer stack composed of individual thin-film layers arranged in groups to form a plurality of repeat unit blocks. The thin-film interference filter is flexible enough to be bendable to a radius of curvature of 250 mm or even less without permanently damaging the thin-film interference filter. The thin-film interference filter may have a second thin-film interference multi-layer stack composed of individual thin-film layers arranged in repeat unit blocks may have a different optical transmission spectrum. At least one interlayer between the first thin-film interference multi-layer stack and the second thin-film interference multi-layer stack may block a range of wavelengths of infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light. A defect layer of a different optical thickness than neighboring thin-film layers forming the repeat unit blocks, thereby creating a Fabry Perot resonance cavity.

Abstract: A method of making an optical filter film with varying optical properties includes the step of drawing a multilayer polymeric preform into an optical filter and varying at least one environmental condition being a member of the group including of heat, pressure, tension, and a drawing speed, the at least one environmental condition being varied over time or over a distance, or both, and causing a variation in layer thickness within the optical filter. The preform may be drawn through a furnace subjecting the preform to a heating power that varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time. The preform may also be drawn through the furnace while the drawing speed varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time.

Abstract: A hybrid optical filter includes a plurality of film layers laminated to one another. This renders the filter flexible enough to be bendable and to implement a combination of at least two different wavelength-dependent optical filtering properties in a single hybrid optical filter. Two or more of the optical filtering properties may be caused by interference-based blocking of different ranges of wavelengths of light. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the optical filtering properties may be an absorptive blocking of a first range of wavelengths of light and at least another one of the optical filtering properties is an interference-based blocking of a second range of wavelengths of light. The first range of wavelengths and the second range of wavelengths may overlap to provide for customized ranges of blocked wavelengths.

Abstract: A method of making an optical filter film with varying optical properties includes the step of drawing a multilayer polymeric preform into an optical filter and varying at least one environmental condition being a member of the group including of heat, pressure, tension, and a drawing speed, the at least one environmental condition being varied over time or over a distance, or both, and causing a variation in layer thickness within the optical filter. The preform may be drawn through a furnace subjecting the preform to a heating power that varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time. The preform may also be drawn through the furnace while the drawing speed varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time.

Abstract: A hybrid optical filter includes a plurality of film layers laminated to one another. This renders the filter flexible enough to be bendable and to implement a combination of at least two different wavelength-dependent optical filtering properties in a single hybrid optical filter. Two or more of the optical filtering properties may be caused by interference-based blocking of different ranges of wavelengths of light. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the optical filtering properties may be an absorptive blocking of a first range of wavelengths of light and at least another one of the optical filtering properties is an interference-based blocking of a second range of wavelengths of light. The first range of wavelengths and the second range of wavelengths may overlap to provide for customized ranges of blocked wavelengths.

Abstract: A device may generate a multi-layer stack of sheets that may be adhered into a slab-shaped preform for thermal drawing. The sheets may include sublayers. Stacking the sub-layered sheets results in accumulation of layers in the final fabricated preform. The stacking process may use mechanical translation and conveyance to support placement of the sheets and fabrication of the stack.

Abstract: An optical filter for a display includes a filter film with at least one optical filter layer. The filter layer blocks a band of optical wavelengths and is transparent for optical wavelengths outside the band. The filter film has a thickness within the range of 25 microns through 1 mm. The filter film may include one or more laminate layers that are optically transparent in the wavelengths of the band blocked by the filter layer. The filter film may include one or more layers of liquid crystal polymers in layered contact with one or more transparent electrode layers and one or more layers of polymers in layered contact with the one or more layers of liquid crystal polymers.

Abstract: An air sanitation device may be utilized for sanitizing air particularly in environments where individuals may be in close proximity to one another. The device may include an internal chamber with an air inlet, an air outlet, and an air flow path defined between the inlet and the outlet. The chamber may be pressurized, for instances through an adjustable vacuum. The chamber may include one or more sources of sanitizing radiation, which may be a UV light emitter. Reflective coating may be provided around the internal chamber to improve the coverage of UV light, or other sanitizing radiation. The air flow path may follow a channel whose internal surface may include the reflective coating.

Abstract: An eyewear article for wearing outside of the human eye includes a flexible, transparent interference filter film with a multi-layer structure, wherein the interference filter film includes at least one filter layer with a layer thickness dimensioned to reduce a transmission of light of a selected range of wavelengths by optical interference. The interference filter film may have a static cling surface configured for removable attachment to a lens surface or an attachment layer affixed to the interference filter film for temporary or permanent attachment to a lens surface, for example by adhesion. The interference filter film may alternatively be bonded to an optical lens or form a separate structure for mechanical or magnetic mounting on eyeglasses.

Abstract: A thin-film interference filter has a thin-film interference multi-layer stack composed of individual thin-film layers arranged in groups to form a plurality of repeat unit blocks. The thin-film interference filter is flexible enough to be bendable to a radius of curvature of 250 mm or even less without permanently damaging the thin-film interference filter. The thin-film interference filter may have a second thin-film interference multi-layer stack composed of individual thin-film layers arranged in repeat unit blocks may have a different optical transmission spectrum. At least one interlayer between the first thin-film interference multi-layer stack and the second thin-film interference multi-layer stack may block a range of wavelengths of infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light. A defect layer of a different optical thickness than neighboring thin-film layers forming the repeat unit blocks, thereby creating a Fabry Perot resonance cavity.

Abstract: A hybrid optical filter includes a plurality of film layers laminated to one another. This renders the filter flexible enough to be bendable and to implement a combination of at least two different wavelength-dependent optical filtering properties in a single hybrid optical filter. Two or more of the optical filtering properties may be caused by interference-based blocking of different ranges of wavelengths of light. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the optical filtering properties may be an absorptive blocking of a first range of wavelengths of light and at least another one of the optical filtering properties is an interference-based blocking of a second range of wavelengths of light. The first range of wavelengths and the second range of wavelengths may overlap to provide for customized ranges of blocked wavelengths.

Abstract: A method of making an optical filter film with varying optical properties includes the step of drawing a multilayer polymeric preform into an optical filter and varying at least one environmental condition being a member of the group including of heat, pressure, tension, and a drawing speed, the at least one environmental condition being varied over time or over a distance, or both, and causing a variation in layer thickness within the optical filter. The preform may be drawn through a furnace subjecting the preform to a heating power that varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time. The preform may also be drawn through the furnace while the drawing speed varies across a width of the furnace or over time or both across the width and over time.

Abstract: A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Abstract: A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Abstract: A method of drawing different materials includes forming a first material into a preform body defining at least one channel extending therethrough having a first cross-sectional area. A first element formed of a second material is inserted into the channel and with the preform body creates a preform assembly. The first element has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the channel, and the second material has a higher melting temperature than the first material. The preform assembly is heated so that the first material softens and the preform assembly is drawn so that the preform body deforms at a first deformation rate to a smaller cross-sectional area and the first element substantially maintains a constant cross-sectional area throughout the drawing process. Upon completion of the drawing step, the cross-sectional area of the channel is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the first element.

Abstract: A method of drawing different materials includes forming a first material into a preform body defining at least one channel extending therethrough having a first cross-sectional area. A first element formed of a second material is inserted into the channel and with the preform body creates a preform assembly. The first element has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of the channel, and the second material has a higher melting temperature than the first material. The preform assembly is heated so that the first material softens and the preform assembly is drawn so that the preform body deforms at a first deformation rate to a smaller cross-sectional area and the first element substantially maintains a constant cross-sectional area throughout the drawing process. Upon completion of the drawing step, the cross-sectional area of the channel is equivalent to the cross-sectional area of the first element.

Abstract: An optical filter for a display includes a filter film with at least one optical filter layer. The filter layer blocks a band of optical wavelengths and is transparent for optical wavelengths outside the band. The filter film has a thickness within the range of 25 microns through 1 mm. The filter film may include one or more laminate layers that are optically transparent in the wavelengths of the band blocked by the filter layer. The filter film may include one or more layers of liquid crystal polymers in layered contact with one or more transparent electrode layers and one or more layers of polymers in layered contact with the one or more layers of liquid crystal polymers.

Abstract: A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Abstract: A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Abstract: A method of poling and calibrating electro-optic fibers is disclosed. Metal electrodes are used to utilize the electro-optic effect to impart phase delays to the optical signal. Moreover, one or more electrodes may be used for heating of the device to reach softening temperatures of the electro-optic material, which allows easy, effective and efficient poling of the electro-optic material. A method based on continuous or periodic optical feedback is used to automatically calibrate the electro-optic device when its performance degrades with time to relaxation of molecular orientations.