Abstract: Provided is an optical device, comprising a plurality of polarizers that are arranged along a propagation direction of incident light; a first phase element that is disposed between the plurality of polarizers and that has a phase lag axis forming a prescribed angle relative to transmission axes of the polarizers arranged along the propagation direction; and a second phase element that is disposed between the first phase element and one of the polarizers arranged along the propagation direction, and that provides the incident light with a prescribed phase difference. An angle of the phase lag axis of the second phase element is adjusted such that the optical device transmits light in a prescribed wavelength region in the incident light.

Abstract: There is provided an optical device including a plurality of polarizers that are arranged along a propagation direction of incident light, where the plurality of polarizers have transmission axes of substantially the same direction, a phaser that is provided between the plurality of polarizers, where the phaser has a retarded-phase axis forming a predetermined angle with the transmission axes of the plurality of polarizers, and a phase modulator that is provided adjacent to the phaser along the propagation direction, where the phase modulator has a retarded-phase axis of substantially the same direction as the retarded-phase axis of the phaser. Here, a phase difference generated in the incident light by the phase modulator is temporally adjusted such that the optical device transmits light in different wavelength ranges at different timings.

Abstract: A polymer film, wherein when any point in the polymer film is taken as a center, a maximum difference between high and low film thicknesses within a range of 60 mm diameter is not more than 1 ?m, an RMS value of a film thickness is 0 ?m to 0.15 ?m or a difference between maximum and minimum values of slow axis angle in any 60 mm×60 mm square in the polymer film is 0° to 0.40°; and a solution casting film-forming method comprising: casting a dope on a support; peeling the casted film, wherein a dry wind of 3 m/s to 15 m/s is applied to the casted film within 15 seconds from the casting, and wherein before the dry wind is applied to the casted film, an air floating on a surface of the casted film has a wind velocity of less than 3 m/s.

Abstract: Provided is an image capturing system comprising an irradiating section that sequentially irradiates an observed position with a plurality of types of irradiation light having different polarizations; a polarization filter section that includes a plurality of polarization filter units, which each include a plurality of returned polarized light filters that each pass light having a different polarization, the polarization filter section passing returned light from the observed position having each of the plurality of polarizations; and a light receiving section that receives the returned light passed by the polarization filter section having each of the plurality of polarizations.

Abstract: Provided is an unevenness detecting apparatus comprising a determining section that determines a polarization state of returned light obtained from radiated light; an uneven portion judging section that judges whether an uneven portion is present based on the polarization state determined by the determining section; a convex/concave identifying section that identifies whether the uneven portion is convex or concave based on image data, captured by an image capturing element, of the uneven portion; and an output section that outputs information identifying whether the uneven portion is convex or concave.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus comprising a recording section that records information identifying diseases in association with polarization characteristics of disease positions having a disease; an image acquiring section that acquires a polarized image captured at an observed position by an endoscope, the polarized image being captured using light having a plurality of different polarization states; a determining section that determines the disease by comparing (i) the polarization characteristic of the observed position acquired from the polarized image to (ii) the polarization characteristics recorded in the recording section; and a notification section that notifies a user with information specifying the disease determined by the determining section.

Abstract: Provided is an image capturing apparatus comprising a plurality of first light receiving elements that are arranged on substantially the same plane and that each receive light of a first color component from a subject; a plurality of second light receiving elements that are arranged on substantially the same plane and with a higher surface density than the plurality of first light receiving elements, and that each receive light of a second color component from the subject; and a polarizing section that blocks polarized light components from the subject except for a first polarized light component so that first-polarized-light receiving elements, which are a portion of the plurality of second light receiving elements, receive the first polarized light component from the subject, the first-polarized-light receiving elements transmitting the light from the subject to be received by the plurality of first light receiving elements.

Abstract: An optical system includes a light sending section that sends light to an object having a scattering medium and a lower medium positioned below the scattering medium, where the scattering medium scatters light and the lower medium feeds back polarized light in response to light incident thereon, a light receiving section that receives (i) light that is sent from the light sending section and then scattered by the scattering medium and (ii) light from the lower medium, and a thickness calculating section that calculates a thickness of the scattering medium, by referring to at least one of a non-polarization component and a polarization component of the light received by the light receiving section.

Abstract: Provided is an optical device, comprising a plurality of polarizers that are arranged along a propagation direction of incident light; a first phase element that is disposed between the plurality of polarizers and that has a phase lag axis forming a prescribed angle relative to transmission axes of the polarizers arranged along the propagation direction; and a second phase element that is disposed between the first phase element and one of the polarizers arranged along the propagation direction, and that provides the incident light with a prescribed phase difference. An angle of the phase lag axis of the second phase element is adjusted such that the optical device transmits light in a prescribed wavelength region in the incident light.

Abstract: There is provided an optical device including a plurality of polarizers that are arranged along a propagation direction of incident light, where the plurality of polarizers have transmission axes of substantially the same direction, a phaser that is provided between the plurality of polarizers, where the phaser has a retarded-phase axis forming a predetermined angle with the transmission axes of the plurality of polarizers, and a phase modulator that is provided adjacent to the phaser along the propagation direction, where the phase modulator has a retarded-phase axis of substantially the same direction as the retarded-phase axis of the phaser. Here, a phase difference generated in the incident light by the phase modulator is temporally adjusted such that the optical device transmits light in different wavelength ranges at different timings.

Abstract: An image capturing device includes a lens system including a plurality of regions on a pupil plane that each have different focal distances, a plurality of first polarizing elements that respectively transmit differently polarized light and respectively transmit light passing through the plurality of regions, a plurality of second polarizing elements that respectively transmit polarized light transmitted through the plurality of first polarizing elements, and a plurality of light receiving elements that respectively receive light transmitted through the plurality of second polarizing elements.

Abstract: There is provided an optical device including a plurality of first phasors having substantially the same phase delaying axis as each other; and a plurality of second phasors having substantially the same phase delaying axis as each other in a direction different from that of the first phasors and providing a phase difference substantially the same as that provided by the first phasors, in which the plurality of first phasors and the plurality of second phasors are arranged on substantially the same face, a density of the first phasors is substantially the same as a density of the second phasors, and a spatial distribution of the density of the first phasors and a spatial distribution of the density of the second phasors are substantially uniform.

Abstract: A polymer film, wherein when any point in the polymer film is taken as a center, a maximum difference between high and low film thicknesses within a range of 60 mm diameter is not more than 1 ?m, an RMS value of a film thickness is 0 ?m to 0.15 ?m or a difference between maximum and minimum values of slow axis angle in any 60 mm×60 mm square in the polymer film is 0° to 0.40°; and a solution casting film-forming method comprising: casting a dope on a support; peeling the casted film, wherein a dry wind of 3 m/s to 15 m/s is applied to the casted film within 15 seconds from the casting, and wherein before the dry wind is applied to the casted film, an air floating on a surface of the casted film has a wind velocity of less than 3 m/s.

Abstract: An axial flow compressor is provided with a rotor blade row (10) which is formed such that an outlet cross sectional area is larger than an inlet cross sectional area so as to reduce a speed in an axial direction and reduce a pressure difference between a positive pressure surface and a negative pressure surface. Further, a stator blade row (11) is provided in a downstream side of the rotor blade row (10). An output cross sectional area of the stator blade row (11) is structured such as to be smaller than an inlet cross sectional area of the rotor blade row (10).

Abstract: An axial flow compressor is provided with a rotor blade row (10) which is formed such that an outlet cross sectional area is larger than an inlet cross sectional area so as to reduce a speed in an axial direction and reduce a pressure difference between a positive pressure surface and a negative pressure surface. Further, a stator blade row (11) is provided in a downstream side of the rotor blade row (10). An output cross sectional area of the stator blade row (11) is structured such as to be smaller than an inlet cross sectional area of the rotor blade row (10).

Abstract: For a color photosensitive material, a conversion table is created in order to convert three-color separation densities into Densities obtained by monochromatic Exposure (DME), and characteristic curves with respect to the DME's are created. The conversion table is used in order to convert three-color separation densities of respective picture elements of an incorrectly exposed image into DME's corresponding to the respective picture elements. The characteristic curves with respect to the DME's are used in order to convert the DME's corresponding to the respective picture elements of the incorrectly exposed image into DME's which correspond to a correctly exposed image. An image is then reproduced on the basis of the DME's which correspond to a correctly exposed image and which are thus found for the respective picture elements.