Abstract: A light-emitting element array with the improvement of the light-emitting efficiency and the improvement of the uneven amount of light is provided. A light-emitting element array comprises a light-emitting portion array consisting of a plurality of light-emitting portions linearly arranged in a main scanning direction, and a micro-lens formed on each of the light-emitting portions, wherein the micro-lens has a shape of the length of a sub-scanning direction different from the length of the main scanning direction, and the length of the sub-scanning direction is longer than the length of the main scanning direction, and is 3.5 times or less of the length of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A lens-attached light-emitting element having an improved optical availability efficiency includes a composite lens provided on an approximately U-shaped light-emitting area of the light emitting element array. Four spherical lenses are arranged in such a manner that each is centered in the neighborhood the an end of a respective one of three segments of a U-shaped polygonal line corresponding to positions where light emitted by the U-shaped light-emitting area is a maximum Three cylindrical lens are arranged between two of the spherical lens, respectively, each cylindrical lens having an axis parallel with each segment. These four spherical lenses and three cylindrical lenses together constitute the composite lens. The light-emitting element further comprises an antireflection film covering the light-emitting area, and the composite lens is formed on the surface of the antireflection film.

Abstract: The conventional lens array of an erecting unit magnification system is composed of an inside lens of spherical shape and an outside lens of spherical or aspherical shape, and has a problem to be improved for the resulting MTF performance. A lens array of an erecting unit magnification system is provided by stacking a first and a second planar-shaped lens array plates. Each of the first and second planar-shaped lens array plates includes a plurality of outside lenses (L1 and L4), which are regularly arranged on one side thereof, and a plurality of inside lenses (L2 and L3), which are regularly arranged on the other side thereof. Especially, the outside lenses (L1 and L4) and the inside lenses (L2 and L3) are formed based on the defining method according to the present invention.

Abstract: An imaging optical system a high quality image may be implemented by determining the optimum design conditions for suppressing the generation of ghost while holding uniform and sufficient light using a simulation method. In the imaging optical system having a slit, the requirements for removing the stray light are the inclination of a lens arrangement direction, the slit width, the lens pitch, the view angle, and the height of the light-shielding wall. The slit location, the lens thickness, and the lens row width do not affect the stray light removal, but affect the brightness. In the imaging optical system having no slit, the essential requirements for removing the stray light are the height of the light-shielding wall and the lens pitch. The lens thickness and the lens row width do not affect the stray light removal, but affect the brightness.

Abstract: A light-emitting element array with the improvement of the light-emitting efficiency and the improvement of the uneven amount of light is provided. A light-emitting element array comprises a light-emitting portion array consisting of a plurality of light-emitting portions linearly arranged in a main scanning direction, and a micro-lens formed on each of the light-emitting portions, wherein the micro-lens has a shape of the length of a sub-scanning direction different from the length of the main scanning direction, and the length of the sub-scanning direction is longer than the length of the main scanning direction, and is 3.5 times or less of the length of the main scanning direction.

Abstract: The conventional lens array of an erecting unit magnification system is composed of an inside lens of spherical shape and an outside lens of spherical or aspherical shape, and has a problem to be improved for the resulting MTF performance. A lens array of an erecting unit magnification system is provided by stacking a first and a second planar-shaped lens array plates. Each of the first and second planar-shaped lens array plates includes a plurality of outside lenses (L1 and L4), which are regularly arranged on one side thereof, and a plurality of inside lenses (L2 and L3), which are regularly arranged on the other side thereof. Especially, the outside lenses (L1 and L4) and the inside lenses (L2 and L3) are formed based on the defining method according to the present invention.

Abstract: A method for producing an aspherical structure according to the invention includes the steps of: forming a layer on a surface of a substrate so that the layer exhibits an etching rate distribution in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; forming a mask having a predetermined opening shape on the surface of the layer; and etching the layer to thereby form at least one aspherical concave portion. When each concave portion is used as a molding tool so that a resin with which the concave portion is filled is solidified and removed from the concave portions an aspherical lens array can be formed accurately.

Abstract: A light detection device for detecting an optical path position of invisible light. The detection device includes a main body and a light guide. The light guide includes a distal end functioning as a light incident portion through which the detected light enters and a light radiation portion from which visible light is emitted. A drive mechanism reciprocates the light guide in an X-direction while vibrating the light guide in a perpendicular Y-direction. The distal end of the light guide rod moves within a light detection area in an XY plane. A visible light-emitting unit radiates visible light from the distal end when the detected light enters the distal end. The visible light-emitting unit includes a photo-detector for detecting the detected light and a light-emitting element for generating the visible light when the photo-detector detects the detected light.

Abstract: A lens-attached light-emitting element having an improved optical availability efficiency includes a composite lens provided on an approximately U-shaped light-emitting area of the light emitting element array. Four spherical lenses are arranged in such a manner that each is centered in the neighborhood the an end of a respective one of three segments of a U-shaped polygonal line corresponding to positions where light emitted by the U-shaped light-emitting area is a maximum Three cylindrical lens are arranged between two of the spherical lens, respectively, each cylindrical lens having an axis parallel with each segment. These four spherical lenses and three cylindrical lenses together constitute the composite lens. The light-emitting element further comprises an antireflection film covering the light-emitting area, and the composite lens is formed on the surface of the antireflection film.

Abstract: A glass substrate is irradiated with a converged laser beam to thereby form a spherical or nearly spherical convex portion on a surface of the glass substrate. More preferably, there may be used a method including the steps of: sticking a glass substrate to a flat member having a predetermined spherical or aspherical concave portion formed therein; and irradiating a converged laser beam onto a surface of the glass substrate just under the concave portion while making the converged laser beam penetrate through the flat member to thereby form a spherical or aspherical convex portion in the inside of the concave portion in accordance with the shape of the concave portion.

Abstract: A lens-attached light-emitting element for increasing an optical availability efficiency is provided. A lens-attached light-emitting element for structuring a light-emitting element array arranged in one dimension comprises a light-emitting element having an approximately U-shaped light-emitting area; and an approximately U-shaped composite lens including a combination of two cylindrical lenses arranged in a direction of the one dimension, one cylindrical lens, and four hemispherical lenses. Where the width in a direction of the one dimension of the light-emitting area is p, the thickness of the base portion of the composite lens is in the range of 0–0.71 p, a radius of curvature of each of the cylindrical lens and hemispherical lens is in the range of 0.20 p–0.47 p, and a center-to-center distance between at least two cylindrical lenses is in the range of 0.35 p–0.89 p.

Abstract: An optical device unit including optical fibers for input and output, a lens and a reflective/semitransparent optical element, wherein, to enable optical design with a degree of freedom, lenses the number of which is the same as the optical fibers for input and output are provided and the optical fibers, the lenses and the reflective/semitransparent optical element are disposed so that the input/output end of each optical fiber, the optical axis center of the lens and reflection/transmission point on the reflective/semitransparent optical element are aligned.

Abstract: A light detection device for detecting an optical path position of invisible light. The detection device includes a main body and a light guide. The light guide includes a distal end functioning as a light incident portion through which the detected light enters and a light radiation portion from which visible light is emitted. A drive mechanism reciprocates the light guide in an X-direction while vibrating the light guide in a perpendicular Y-direction. The distal end of the light guide rod moves within a light detection area in an XY plane. A visible light-emitting unit radiates visible light from the distal end when the detected light enters the distal end. The visible light-emitting unit includes a photo-detector for detecting the detected light and a light-emitting element for generating the visible light when the photo-detector detects the detected light.

Abstract: The optical device having a predetermined surface profile of the invention is fabricated by forming a multi-layered dielectric film on the surface of a solid composition layer having a glass transition temperature of not lower than 100° C. The solid composition layer is formed by molding and curing a polymerizable organic group-having fluid composition. The curing may be effected through photopolymerization or thermal polymerization of the polymerizable organic group in the composition, and a predetermined surface profile is transferred onto the composition layer from the mold used. The cured composition is released from the mold, and this is coated with a multi-layered dielectric film.

Abstract: A lens-attached light-emitting element for increasing an optical availability efficiency is provided. A lens-attached light-emitting element for structuring a light-emitting element array arranged in one dimension comprises a light-emitting element having an approximately U-shaped light-emitting area; and an approximately U-shaped composite lens including a combination of two cylindrical lenses arranged in a direction of the one dimension, one cylindrical lens, and four hemispherical lenses. Where the width in a direction of the one dimension of the light-emitting area is p, the thickness of the base portion of the composite lens is in the range of 0-0.71 p, a radius of curvature of each of the cylindrical lens and hemispherical lens is in the range of 0.20 p-0.47 p, and a center-to-center distance between at least two cylindrical lenses is in the range of 0.35 p-0.89 p.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of designing a collimator array device which enables reduction of the insertion loss because of the variation of the optical length. When the beam waist is positioned at the intermediate position between the emitting side planar microlens and the receiving side planar microlens (d1=L/2), the distance d0 between the emitting side fiber array and the emitting side planar microlens can be used as the distance between the receiving side fiber array and the receiving side planar microlens, and thereby the design of the collimator array device can be simplified. The distance d0 for satisfying d1=L/2 is calculated and two values d0-2 and d0-4 are obtained. By selecting the smaller value d0-2, it is possible to reduce the insertion loss because of the shift at the time of coupling.