Abstract: A screen for image display apparatus according to the present invention has a base member, a light absorption layer formed on the base member and adapted for absorbing light of a visible light range, and a light control layer formed on the light absorption layer. The light control layer reflects projected image display light to form an image and has a reflection wavelength selection function of selectively reflecting light of the wavelength range of the image display light. By using the screen for image display apparatus according to the present invention, a user can easily enjoy large-screen image display even in a bright environment.

Abstract: A hologram apparatus includes a light beam interfering section for allowing reference and signal light beams to interfere to form a hologram recording region; a reproducing section for allowing the reference light beam to be incident on the recording region and generating a reproduced light; an image sensor for detecting a hologram-reproduced image; a distortion determining section for detecting the distortion-detecting data from the hologram-reproduced image to determine a distortion of the hologram-reproduced image; a distortion corrector for correcting a distortion of the hologram-reproduced image; and a controller for correcting the distortion in accordance with a determined distortion.

Abstract: Block polymers suitable for the preparation of data storage media are disclosed. The media produced of the inventive of the polymers has thickness in the range of a few millimeters. In contrast with currently available materials that feature high optical density the inventive polymers feature increased dilution of dyes (decrease in optical density) and decrease in the holographic diffraction efficiency.

Abstract: A holographic recording apparatus which can stably record data to be recorded onto a recording medium. The holographic recording apparatus of the present invention includes: a light source for generating a coherent reference light beam; a signal light generation unit including a spatial light modulator for spatially modulating the reference light beam in accordance with information data to generate a signal light beam; an interference unit for directing the signal light beam and the reference light beam toward a recording medium through an objective lens to form a region of a diffraction grating formed by an optical interference pattern within the recording medium; a lens positioning unit for positioning the objective lens with respect to a recording surface of the recording medium; and a light-receiving unit for detecting a returned beam that is returned from the recording medium through the objective lens.

Abstract: A holographic apparatus includes a mask for modulating a signal beam to generate a modulated signal beam; a conical prism, which has a cone portion and a base portion, for refracting a reference beam to generate a refracted reference beam, wherein the refracted reference beam interferes with the modulated signal beam in a holographic medium to thereby record data thereon, the base portion facing the holographic medium. The holographic apparatus can be miniaturized by a positional relationship between the conical prism and the holographic medium.

Abstract: A wireless communication base station system of the present invention includes a wireless key base station, an optical forward base station, and an optical transmitter which connects the wireless key base station and the optical forward base station to each other. An optical signal modulated by a signal component and that modulated by a distortion component are transmitted from the wireless key base station to the optical forward base station. In the optical forward base station, these optical signals are converted to high-frequency electrical signals, and the high-frequency signal consisting of the signal component is amplified. Thereafter, the amplified signal is combined with the high-frequency signal consisting of the distortion component with their phases opposite to each other, so that the distortion component include in the amplified signal is removed.

Abstract: A scanning pattern generator and a method for microlithographic multi-beam writing of high precision patterns on a photosensitive substrate (11), the system comprising a light source (1), preferably a laser, for generating at least two light beams, a computer-controlled light modulator (4), a deflector for scanning the beams on the substrate and an objective lens (10) to contract the at least one light beam from the light source before it reaches the substrate, wherein at least the objective lens is arranged on a carrier (22) being movable relative to the substrate (11) and the light source (1). Hereby, the carrier defines a movable optical path relative to the remaining, stationary optical path. Further, the system comprises means for altering the stationary optical path in order to maintain telecentricity for the beams as they impinge on the photosensitive substrate during the movement of the carrier and the movable optical path.

Abstract: An image lidar includes a laser for generating light beam pulses in a line scan to illuminate an area surrounding a target. A controller selects pulse width and pulse rate of the light beam pulses emitted by the laser. A photomultiplier tube detects energy from the light beam pulses scattered by the target and generates a series of pixels defined by the light beam pulses and the line scan. A display generates an image from the pixels that is representative of the target.

Abstract: An image detected by a CCD image sensor 108 when only a non-modulated signal light is applied to a holographic memory 120 in which data is not recorded is ensured as a noise pattern. When data is reproduced, the previously obtained noise pattern is subtracted from a reproduced image detected by the CCD image sensor 108.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for performing digital holographic imaging (DHI), said DHI being characterized by the fact that images of a sample are obtained by applying numerical means to reconstruct holograms of the sample. In the method of the invention, the sample is in a medium with controlled properties that influence the behaviour of the sample, and/or that influence the process of hologram formation. The information content of one hologram, or of a plurality of holograms, recorded with the sample in one medium, or in a plurality of medium, is used to reconstruct one image of the sample, or a plurality of images of the sample, that describe quantitatively one property of the sample, or a plurality of properties of the sample. The present invention is also related to an apparatus with which to perform said method.

Abstract: A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having a volume holographic memory. The apparatus is capable of recording an interference pattern in the volume holographic memory in high density and can be made small-sized.

Abstract: Holographic methods for recording fast movies whose speed is limited by the laser pulse duration if the recording material has sufficient sensitivity to reliably record a frame of the fast event with a single pulse. The method we describe uses the selectivity of multiplexed holograms to resolve frames that are recorded with adjacent pulses. Specially designed pulse generators are used to generate the signal and reference pulse trains. We experimentally demonstrate the system by making movies of laser induced shock waves with a temporal resolution of 5.9 ns, limited by the pulse width of the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser used in the experiments.

Abstract: In a hologram recording method for forming a plurality of areas of a refractive index light interference pattern of a coherent signal light beam in accordance with information data within a recording medium having a shape of parallel flat plates, the signal light beam and the recording reference light beam cross each other within the recording medium, and a gate light beam having a second wavelength for revealing recording sensitivity of the recording medium is simultaneously irradiated to the recording medium so as to pass through a portion of the recording reference light beam and demarcate a volume smaller than that of this crossing portion.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a hologram screen having a large visual range and a hologram imaging apparatus used for the particular method of fabricating the hologram screen are disclosed. A plurality of mirrors (3) extended toward a plurality of photosensitive members (5) are arranged at a plurality of end portions (21), respectively, of a light diffuser (2). At least a reference beam (41) and object beams (42) passed through the light diffuser (2) are radiated on a plurality of the photosensitive members (5) individually thereby to form a plurality of holograms. These holograms are integrated with each other by being arranged two-dimensionally thereby to fabricate a hologram screen. Among the mirrors (3), a reference beam-side mirror (31) arranged nearer to the light source of the reference beams (41) is extended from the light diffuser (2) by a length varied with the position of the photosensitive member (5) to be exposed.

Abstract: In a storing mode of an apparatus for storing and retrieving a sequence of digital page data, a first/second complex reference beam and a modulated signal beam converge on a storing location to generate a sequence of first/second interference patterns to be sequentially stored on a holographic medium. A shift selectivity of the first complex reference beam is larger than that of the second complex reference beam so that the second interference pattern is used as a servo pattern to sequentially determine where the first interference patterns have been stored.

Abstract: In a storing mode of an apparatus for sequentially storing and retrieving digital page data, a first and second complex reference beams and a modulated and second signal beams converge on a first/second location to generate a sequence of first and second interference patterns to be sequentially stored on a holographic medium. A shift selectivity of the first complex reference beam is larger than that of the second complex reference beam so that the second interference pattern is used as a servo pattern to sequentially determine where the first interference patterns have been stored.

Abstract: Between a spatial beam modulator for modulating an object beam and a one-dimensional diffuser plate for diffusing the object beam modulated by the spatial beam modulator in a one-dimensional direction, there is arranged an object projection optical system for processing the object beam modulated by the spatial beam modulator in such a manner that, in the one-dimensional direction of the one-dimensional diffuser plate, images displayed by the spatial beam modulator are formed on the one-dimensional diffuser plate, and, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the one-dimensional direction, the object beam is condensed onto a hologram recording medium. In the one-dimensional direction of the one-dimensional diffuser plate, the images displayed by the spatial beam modulator are formed on the one-dimensional diffuser plate, whereby blurring of the images with the one-dimensional direction as a non-parallactic direction can be suppressed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for spatially routing an optical pulse (data pulse) of an electromagnetic radiation and containing a specific address temporal profile and possibly additional data. Routing generally involves a unit of active material that is programmed using one or more input beams or pulses of the electromagnetic radiation providing address (i.e., waveform-discriminating) and directional (i.e., pulse routing) information to the active material. During programming, a spatial-spectral grating is created by optical interference on or in the active material of the input pulses encoding the address and directional information pertinent to the data pulse.

Abstract: A holographic apparatus includes a mask for modulating a signal beam to generate a modulated signal beam; a conical prism, which has a cone portion and a base portion, for refracting a reference beam to generate a refracted reference beam, wherein the refracted reference beam interferes with the modulated signal beam in a holographic medium to thereby record data thereon, the base portion facing the holographic medium. The holographic apparatus can be miniaturized by a positional relationship between the conical prism and the holographic medium.

Abstract: An optical storage medium of the present invention enables storage of data with high precision at high speed, and rewriting of data at high speed without an erasing process. Optical storage, reading and retrieving methods and optical storage, reading, and retrieving apparatuses using the medium are also provided. The optical storage medium has at least a polarization-sensitive member having the photo-induced birefringence property, such as a member made of polyester polymer having cyanoazobenzene as a side chain. The above apparatuses have spatial light modulator capable of modulating polarization. The modulator provides information of bit of two-dimensional data to each corresponding pixel by application or non-application of a voltage, and modulates the polarization of the beam incident on each pixel. Thereby, a signal beam transmitted through the spatial light modulator having a spatial polarization modulation corresponding to the two-dimensional data is obtained.

Abstract: A method of recording holograms includes: generating a first signal-beam from a signal-beam source and a first reference beam from a reference-beam source; recording a first hologram in a holographic medium from an interference between the first signal beam and the first reference beam; shifting the reference-beam source after the act of recording the first hologram; generating a second signal beam from the signal-beam source and a second reference beam from the reference-beam source after the act of shifting the reference-beam source following the recording of the first hologram; and recording a second hologram in the holographic medium from an interference between the second signal beam and the second reference beam.

Abstract: A three dimensional true color holographic imaging system using three primary color Fresnel-Zone-Pattern laser generators combined as a single beam that scans the target and the reflections of which are sensed simultaneously by a single electronic detector. The detector signals corresponding to each generator are then separated electronically and independently recorded.

Abstract: A method of recording a surface relief microstructure in a record medium includes: i) causing a coherent reconstruction or replay beam to impinge on a holographic optical element assembly, the holographic optical element assembly including a holographic optical element (HOE), the assembly causing selected portions of the beam to interfere at a focal region after diffraction by the holographic optical element so as to reconstruct a real image of an aperture previously used to construct the HOE; ii) locating a record medium at the focal region so that the real image is recorded; and, iii) causing relative movement between the record medium and the interfering beam portions and repeating steps i) and ii) so that the real image is recorded at a plurality of locations or pixels on the record medium.

Abstract: When manufacturing a recording medium, a material layer 12 formed on a substrate 11 that composes the recording medium is exposed to a laser beam in accordance with a recording pattern. The material layer 12 has a predetermined reflectivity for the laser beam 13 so as to produce return light for the laser beam 13. By detecting this return light, the focusing of the laser beam on the material layer is adjusted. By doing so, a laser beam can be easily and accurately focused on a material layer during a process in which a laser beam is shone, in accordance with a recording pattern, onto a material layer formed on a recording medium or a production plate used when manufacturing a recording medium.

Abstract: A device for monitoring a modulation frequency of an optical signal,—in particular a device for monitoring the modulation frequency of an optical signal modulated at a microwave or millimetric frequency—, the device being characterized in that it comprises a photorefractive crystal (7), a photodetector (6), and means (8a, 8b, 8c; 9a, 9b, 9c) for applying to said crystal (7) firstly at least a fraction of the modulated optical signal and secondly a write optical signal for photoinducing a Bragg grating on said crystal (7), the orientations of the modulated optical signal and of the write optical signal relative to said crystal (7) being such that at a given wavelength of the optical signal the photodetector (6) detects an intensity for the signal reflected by the crystal (7) that reaches a maximum when the optical signal is modulated at the modulation frequency to be detected.

Abstract: A method and system of recording successive holograms in a recording medium including a reflective substrate layer, a polarization shifting layer, and a photorecording medium layer is presented. A reference beam and an object beam are propagated at a first direction to a first area of the photorecording medium layer, where the reference beam and object beam have a same first polarization and interfere to produce a first interference grating. The reference beam and object beam are reflected with the reflective substrate layer to be incident the photorecording medium at a second direction, where the reference beam polarization and object beam polarization are altered with the polarization shifting layer to have a same second polarization. The reflected reference beam and object beam interfere to produce second interference grating, with the first polarization and second polarization being different.

Abstract: A method includes combining a solid first material and a solid second material and melting at least a portion of the first material sufficient to coat the second material and any remaining first material. An approximately homogenous distribution of the second material can be formed throughout the liquid phase of the first material. The first material liquid phase can then be solidified to define a composite target blank exhibiting an approximately homogenous distribution of the solid second material in a matrix of the solidified first material. The first material can comprise SE and the second material can comprise Ge and/or Ag. The composite target blank can include at least about 50 vol % matrix. The first and second materials can be powdered metals. Accordingly, a physical vapor deposition target can include a matrix of a first material and an approximately homogenous distribution of particles of a second material throughout the first material matrix.

Abstract: A substrate surface 10 having a photo-sensitive material surface thereon is simultaneously exposed to four plane waves of light at angles of incidence &thgr;, −&thgr;, &phgr; and −&phgr; subtending from the normal of the surface. The four plane waves create an interference pattern on the substrate so as to cause the formation of a periodic structure on the photo-sensitive material surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solution to the needs described above through a system and method for holographic storage. The system comprises a laser light source, a first beam splitter for splitting a light beam into an object and reference beam, an elliptical reflector with a first and second focal point, a reflector rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, a pattern encoder, and a holographic storage medium. The reflector is located at the first focal point of the elliptical mirror, and the holographic storage medium is located at the second focal point of the elliptical mirror.

Abstract: Holography in which an array of overlapping holograms is recorded or reconstructed in a recording medium, holograms being produced by interference of a reference beam and a signal beam, in which the reference beam is a phase beam which consists essentially of a multitude of rays of varying angle of incidence and non-uniform phase, in which the process comprises changing the orientation of the phase beam for recording or reconstructing different holograms, wherein phase beam orientation is changed relative to the medium while maintaining the medium stationary in order to enable recording or reconstruction of individual holograms at a given location of the medium.

Abstract: Holography in which an array of overlapping holograms is recorded or reconstructed in a recording medium, holograms being produced by interference of a reference beam and a signal beam, in which the reference beam is a phase beam which consists essentially of a multitude of rays of varying angle of incidence and non-uniform phase, in which the process comprises changing the orientation of the phase beam for recording or reconstructing different holograms, wherein phase beam orientation is changed relative to the medium while maintaining the medium stationary in order to enable recording or reconstruction of individual holograms at a given location of the medium.

Abstract: A novel liquid photoreactive asymmetric acrylate compound containing sulfur, aromatic moieties, and optionally bromine, and having high dynamic range sensitivity is disclosed. The acrylate compound is a monomer for a photoimageable system. In one embodiment, when about 2-8% by weight of the acrylate compound is dissolved in a two-component urethane matrix system and incorporated in an optical article formed by reacting the two-component urethane matrix system, the optical article shows a sensitivity of about 4 or more and a shrinkage during the formation of the optical article of about 0.05% versus a sensitivity of 2.26 and a shrinkage of 0.13% when tribromophenyl acrylate, a commercial monomer, was used.

Abstract: The invention provides a hologram recording or replicating optical system wherein a misalignment-with-time of the center of a laser generated beam is automatically corrected so that the color balance in a color hologram surface, for instance, can be well maintained with no disturbance. In the hologram recording or replicating optical system for irradiating a photosensitive material 20 with a beam from a laser 31 through a pinhole 10, a beam position correcting mechanism 32 and a beam splitter 33 are located in an optical path between the laser 31 and the pinhole 10, and a laser beam position detector 35 is located at a position in an optical path split by the beam splitter 33 and conjugate to the pinhole 10, so that the beam position correcting mechanism 32 can be operated on the basis of a beam position error signal obtained from the laser beam position detector 35 to keep the position of the beam incident on the pinhole 10 always constant.

Abstract: A method of forming a complete grating structure on a photosensitive waveguide is disclosed comprising the steps of: (a) writing an initial portion of the grating structure on the waveguide; (b) testing the properties of the initial portion to determine a series of parameters of the initial portion; (c) utilizing the parameters to alter the characteristics of a subsequently written portion of the grating structure to provide for an improved form of grating structure; (d) iterating the steps (a) to (c) so as to form the complete grating structure. The writing can be performed utilizing a coherence pattern formed from the interference of two coherent beams on the waveguide. The characteristics can include the intensity or phase of the subsequently written portion. The testing may include determining the spectral reflectance response of the initial portion or determining the spectral phase delay of the initial portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to block copolymers for optical data storage.

Abstract: A display device has a plurality of light emitting elements for emitting lights, a display element for modulating the light emitting from the plurality of light emitting elements so as to convert it to an image light showing an optical image, a reflection type hologram element, having a positive optical power with respect to the lights from the plural light emitting elements, for diffracting and reflecting the lights from the plural light emitting elements to approximately one direction so as to guide the diffracted and reflected lights to the display element; and an enlarging optical system for forming an enlarged image of the optical image converted by the lights from the image display element. The plural light emitting elements are positioned in a plane approximately vertical to an optical path of the lights diffracted and reflected by the hologram element.

Abstract: A projection television has a screen with a three dimensional hologram on a film substrate for collecting light over a range of incident angles and redirecting the light more nearly forward. Vertical and horizontal holograms can have varying gain across a horizontal viewing span of ±40° and a vertical viewing span of ±20° can be stacked. Image projection tubes project an image onto at least one mirror that reflects the image along an optical path that converges at an angle of projection, &phgr;, between about 0° and 30° relative to an axis orthogonal to the screen. Each tube can have a separate mirror. The hologram redirects the images reflected to an angle of display relative to the orthogonal axis of the screen of from 0 to 5°.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for producing and displaying a one-step, edge-lit hologram. For production, an object beam and an edge-lit reference beam are directed at holographic recording material and to interfere with one another. The holographic recording material and the object beam and edge-lit reference beam are then translated with respect to one another. The translation successively exposes multiple portions of the holographic recording material to the interference of the object beam and the edge-lit reference beam to record an edge-lit hologram on the holographic recording material. In one embodiment, the holographic recording material is moved while the object beam and the edge-lit reference beam remain generally stationary. In another embodiment, the object beam and the edge-lit reference beam move in unison with each other while the holographic recording material remains generally stationary.

Abstract: A method that includes exposing a photo-sensitive medium to an optical intensity pattern and then heating the exposed medium. The exposing is performed under conditions that inhibit or prevent the optical intensity pattern from producing refractive index changes in the medium. The heating stimulates a pattern of refractive index changes that is responsive to the optical intensity pattern during the exposing step.

Abstract: A light engine (9) for a projection display is provided which employs: 1) at least one light source (25), 2) at least one TIR prism assembly (13), and 3) at least one digital micromirror device (15), wherein: (a) the illumination path (55) between the light source (25) and the prism assembly (13) is unfolded, i.e., the illumination path is free of fold mirrors; and (b) the angle &ggr; between the illumination path (55) and the device's horizontal axis (53) is preferably less than or equal to about 20°.

Abstract: This invention encompasses a method for the manufacture and rapid assembly of large screen fiber optic displays (1, 2) containing a very large number of individual fibers (thousands to hundreds of thousands, or more). The display surface is modularized into relatively small, thin, interchangeable, injection-molded square or rectangular tiles (3) to simplify manufacture and assembly. The hundreds of fibers (7) required for each tile (3) are machine-configured into a plurality of flat, flexible fiber optic ribbon cables (4), each cable (4) comprised of a planar geometric array of optical fibers (7) embedded in a thin adhesive matrix (8). The image emission end of each flat, flexible fiber optic cable (4) is a fiber manifold (20) joined to an injection-molded thermoplastic array of light guides (11), each fiber terminating in a single light guide or emitter (12).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-stage non-blocking optical switch matrix having failure protection. The optical switch includes failure protection in the form of a capacity to provide an alternative route for any connection, including rearrangeable protection to provide alternative routes for multiple connections, as required, and to permit replacement of any failed submatrix module without service interruption. The present invention provides both internal and external protection from system failure in a multi-stage optical switch matrix by providing interconnected modules in a first external stage. The modules are interconnected by rerouting ports for redirecting signals from an input/output port on one external switch module to another external switch module. Protection is further provided through a center stage having a number of center stage switch modules, fully connected to the external modules, equal to twice the number of input/output ports and rerouting ports on an external module.

Abstract: Device, method, and system for recording diffractive high resolution text, pictorial, and/or other graphical information is provided which is particularly suited to recording information that would be difficult to reproduce by typical counterfeiting methods. The information recorded may be used to authenticate the recorded item, or indirectly, an item to which the recording is attached. Such items may include legal, financial and commercial instruments, credit cards, and packaging for such items as software, art, and other items where forgery of the item may be a concern. In one embodiment of the invention light is selectively passed by a shutter, and a spatial filter then cleans the beam to remove undesirable frequency components.

Abstract: A method of recording holograms includes: generating a first signal beam from a signal-beam source and a first reference beam from a reference-beam source; recording a first hologram in a holographic medium from an interference between the first signal beam and the first reference beam; shifting the reference-beam source after the act of recording the first hologram; generating a second signal beam from the signal-beam source and a second reference beam from the reference-beam source after the act of shifting the reference-beam source following the recording of the first hologram; and recording a second hologram in the holographic medium from an interference between the second signal beam and the second reference beam.

Abstract: Associative retrieval techniques of this invention allow a holographic recording device to simultaneously query a plurality of storage locations for the presence of a given data pattern. The techniques use a known pattern common to one or more storage locations to simultaneously verify the success of one or more write operations.

Abstract: In a first embodiment of the invention, a method and system of recording successive holograms in a recording medium is presented. The method utilizes a multilayer holographic storage media comprising a reflective substrate layer, a polarization shifting layer disposed above the reflective substrate layer, and a photorecording medium layer disposed above the polarization shifting layer. A reference beam and an encoded object beam are propagated at a first direction to a first area of the photorecording medium layer, where the reference beam and encoded object beam have a same first polarization and interfere to produce a first interference grating.

Abstract: An optical delay generator comprises a first waveguide made from electro-optically active material resonantly coupled to a second non-electro-optically active waveguide. The first waveguide contains a chirped distributed Bragg reflector structure which reflects optical signals at a specific wavelength at a specific reflection point within the structure. An electric field applied to the first waveguide changes the refractive index of the electro-optically active material and thus shifts the reflection point. Optical signals reflecting from the reflection point are resonantly coupled into the second waveguide, and are thus not affected by the electric field applied to the first waveguide. The controllable optical delay applied to the optical signals results from control over the reflection point and the round-trip travel time for an optical signal forward propagating in the first waveguide, being reflected at the reflection point, and backward propagating in the second waveguide.

Abstract: A master hologram is generated in a first optical medium by use of a plurality m of different reference beams, each beam bearing information suitably recorded in one or more of a plurality n layers of the second optical medium that are distinct from layers in which information in all other beams is suitably recorded. The generated master hologram is then used to optically holographically stamp, or record, multi-layer bit-oriented optical media by writing all n layers of the volume of the blank optical medium with m recording beams produced by simultaneously illuminating the master hologram with all m different reference beams, each illuminating reference beam being at a different reference angle and from a coherent light source which is incoherent with respect to every other illuminating reference beam.

Abstract: An apodization system for achieving a substantially uniform intensity profile of a modulated reference beam on a holographic recording medium is disclosed. The substantially uniform intensity profile serves to improve the quality of any and all recorded holograms. In high-density holographic storage, the apodization system reduces the required hologram extent while still maintaining any fidelity constraints (power budget, imaging tolerances, error-rate, noise floor). Furthermore, in high-fidelity holographic storage, better control of the hologram recording parameters can be established. The improved control allows tighter specifications on the image quality to be achieved.

Abstract: The Holographic Beam Combiner, (HBC), is used to combine the output from many lasers into a single-aperture, diffraction-limited beam. The HBC is based on the storage of multiple holographic gratings in the same spatial location. By using a photopolymer material such as quinone-doped polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) that uses a novel principle of “polymer with diffusion amplification” (PDA), it is possible to combine a large number (N) of diode lasers, with an output intensity and brightness 0.9 N times as much as those of the combined outputs of individual N lasers. The HBC will be a small, inexpensive to manufacture, and lightweight optical element.