Abstract: Provided are an optical element that causes a guided-mode resonance phenomenon to occur using a liquid crystal diffraction element to reflect light in a specific wavelength range such that the reflection wavelength range can be widened and the controllability of the width of the reflection wavelength range is also excellent, and an optical sensor including the above-described optical element. The optical element includes a liquid crystal layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound, in which the liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, the liquid crystal compound is twisted and aligned in a thickness direction, and the liquid crystal layer further has a resonance structure.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: an optical element in which incident light can be transmitted or reflected at an angle in the predetermined direction and the wavelength dependence of the amount of transmitted light or reflected light is small; and an optical element including the optical element. The optical element according to the present invention comprises: an optically-anisotropic layer that is formed using a composition including a liquid crystal compound and an infrared absorbing colorant, in which the optically-anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a minor axis direction is higher than an absorption of the infrared absorbing colorant in a wavelength range of 700 to 2000 nm in a major axis direction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes a batch type cleaning unit, a holding unit, and a single-substrate type drying unit. The batch type cleaning unit simultaneously cleans a plurality of substrates in a batch process with a first liquid. The holding unit receives the cleaned substrates while still wet and then keeps a first surface of each of the substrates wet with the first liquid. The single-substrate type drying unit is configured to receive the substrates one by one from the holding unit and then dry off the substrates one by one.

Abstract: An information processing device (40) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an analysis unit (41) being a first data generation unit that generates objective score data, which indicates objective scores in time series, based on a plurality of pieces of objective data regarding a patient; a processing unit (42) being a second data generation unit that generates subjective score data, which indicates subjective scores in time series, based on a plurality of pieces of subjective data obtained from the patient; and a generation unit (44) being an image generation unit that generates a score image indicating the objective score data and the subjective score data.

Abstract: Provided is a sensor having a high SN ratio. The sensor includes a light source, a band pass filter, and a light-receiving element, in which the band pass filter includes two cholesteric liquid crystal layers and a discontinuous layer disposed between the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, in the two cholesteric liquid crystal layers, helical twisted directions and helical pitches are the same, and in a case where the discontinuous layer is a layer other than a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and a wavelength having a lowest reflectivity in a selective reflection wavelength range of the band pass filter is represented by ?m [nm], a thickness [nm] is in a range of “30×(?m/550) to 150×(?m/550)”.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium, an acquiring unit configured to acquire temperature information of the printing unit, and a control unit configured to control the printing unit so as to start relative scanning in a case where a temperature that is indicated by the temperature information has reached a print permission temperature. The print permission temperature in a first print mode whose speed at a time of a constant speed in relative scanning is a first speed is a first temperature. The print permission temperature in a second print mode whose speed at the time of the constant speed is a second speed that is faster than the first speed is a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus adopting short pulse heating is designed to output a uniform image without unevenness. To this end, in a serial inkjet printing apparatus, a print head is subjected to a short pulse heating treatment before each print scan is carried out. In a case where a print medium is a first print medium, the print head is heated to a first target temperature before carrying out each of the print scans. In a case where the print medium is a second print medium, the print head is heated to a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature before carrying out each of the print scans.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus includes a second tray arranged below a first tray detachable from a main body having a first discharge port corresponding to the first tray and a second discharge port corresponding to the second tray, a discharge unit, a tray detecting unit, and a control unit. The discharge unit discharges a sheet toward the first or second discharge port. In a state that the first tray is detached from the main body and the discharge unit discharges sheets from the first discharge port to the second tray and then the first tray is detected as attached to the main body, the control unit selects a discharge destination of a second sheet, subsequent to a first sheet discharged and stacked first after the first tray is attached to the main body, such that the second sheet is stacked on a tray having the first sheet thereon.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a novel positive electrode active material for an aqueous potassium ion battery, and a novel potassium ion secondary battery. The positive electrode active material for an aqueous potassium ion battery is represented by the general formula LixMn2O4, where 0<x<2. The aqueous potassium ion secondary battery comprises a positive electrode active material represented by the general formula LixMn2O4 where 0<x<2, and an aqueous electrolyte solution, wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution has a pH of 7.0 to 13.0 and comprises an aqueous solvent and a potassium salt dissolved in the aqueous solvent. The potassium salt is preferably potassium pyrophosphate.

Abstract: Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having a high diffraction efficiency, a method of forming the same, and a laminate, a light guide element, and an image display device that include the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, in which the cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, in a cross-section observed with a SEM, bright portions and dark portions are tilted, in a case where a tilt angle of a direction in which an in-plane retardation is minimum with respect to a normal line in a slow axis plane or a fast axis plane is represented by ?2, an absolute value of an optical axis tilt angle ? represented by “sin ?2=n·sin ? (n represents an average refractive index of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer)” is 5° or more.

Abstract: In an electronic control device E1 according to the present invention, a first board 50 and a second board 60 are connected to each other via connection members 801, 802. Thus, with the connection members 801, 801, it is possible to fix the first board 50 and the second board 60 without sacrificing areas for mounting electronic components on the first board 50 and the second board 60. Accordingly, it is possible to ensure sufficient mounting areas on the first board 50 and the second board 60, which contributes to downsizing the electronic control device E1.

Abstract: An object is to provide an exposure method of a photoalignment layer in which an alignment pattern having no disorder can be formed.

Abstract: An object is to provide an exposure method of a photoalignment layer in which an alignment pattern having no disorder can be formed. The exposure method of a photoalignment layer includes an exposure step of disposing an exposure mask and a substrate that includes a coating film including a compound having a photo-aligned group such that the exposure mask and the coating film face each other, irradiating the coating film with light to which the compound is photosensitive from the exposure mask side, and exposing the coating film to form an alignment pattern, in which the light is circularly polarized light having an ellipticity of 0.7 to 1.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal diffraction element in which chromatic aberration is small and diffraction efficiency is high in the liquid crystal diffraction element, and an image display apparatus and a head mounted display which use this diffraction element. The liquid crystal diffraction element includes an optically anisotropic layer that is formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound, where the optically anisotropic layer has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating along at least one in-plane direction, and the optically anisotropic layer has at least a curved surface portion.

Abstract: Provided are a beam combiner that can obtain a fine and clear interference pattern, a method of forming an alignment film in which a fine and clear alignment pattern can be obtained, and a method of manufacturing an optical element including a fine and clear liquid crystal alignment pattern. The beam combiner includes: a beam combiner element that emits light where light transmitted through a first surface and light reflected from a second surface are combined; a light control element that is provided on an upstream side of the beam combiner; and a polarization conversion layer that converts polarized light of the light emitted from the beam combiner element, in which an absolute value of an ellipticity of light emitted from the polarization conversion layer is 0.7 or more.

Abstract: Provided is an optical scanning device having a stable scanning direction corresponding to a temperature fluctuation of a semiconductor laser by being provided with a predetermined liquid crystal optical element utilizing a characteristic of a linear expansion coefficient of a support of a liquid crystal diffraction element.

Abstract: An imprint system transfers a pattern formed on a mold to an imprint material supplied onto a substrate and includes: a formation unit configured to form a desired substrate-side mark including a predetermined material by applying the predetermined material onto the surface of the substrate and then transferring the substrate-side mark on the predetermined material and processing the substrate-side mark, wherein a difference in a predetermined optical property between the predetermined material and the imprint material is larger than a difference in the predetermined optical property between the imprint material and the substrate; and an alignment unit configured to align the substrate-side mark including the predetermined material and a mold-side mark provided on the mold.

Abstract: An optically anisotropic film is formed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction of the optically anisotropic film, and the optically anisotropic film satisfies predetermined requirements.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided and includes a first extraction unit configured to perform first extraction processing on an image of a registration target, the first extraction processing extracting first feature information indicating a feature of the registration target, a second extraction unit configured to perform second extraction processing on the image of the registration target, the second extraction processing extracting second feature information, a comparison unit configured to compare the first feature information with the second feature information, and a registration unit configured to register registration information associated with the registration target, the registration information indicating which one of the first extraction processing and the second extraction processing is to be used for collation processing based on a result of comparison by the comparison unit.

Abstract: A transmissive liquid crystal diffraction element includes a rod-like liquid crystal layer where a rod-like liquid crystal compound is aligned and a disk-like liquid crystal layer where a disk-like liquid crystal compound is aligned that are alternately laminated, in which each of the liquid crystal layers has a predetermined liquid crystal alignment pattern, rotation directions of optical axes in the liquid crystal alignment patterns are the same, single periods of the liquid crystal alignment patterns are the same, a thickness direction retardation |Rth| of each of the liquid crystal layers is 65 nm or less, and at an interface between the liquid crystal layers, longitudinal directions of the liquid crystal compounds match with each other.