Abstract: A LIDAR system includes a plurality of LIDAR units. Each of the LIDAR units includes a housing defining a cavity. Each of the LIDAR units further includes a plurality of emitters disposed within the cavity. Each of the plurality of emitters is configured to emit a laser beam. The LIDAR system includes a rotating mirror and a retarder. The retarder is configurable in at least a first mode and a second mode to control a polarization state of a plurality of laser beams emitted from each of the plurality of LIDAR units. The LIDAR system includes a polarizing beam splitter positioned relative to the retarder such that the polarizing beam splitter receives a plurality of laser beams exiting the retarder. The polarizing beam is configured to transmit or reflect the plurality of laser beams exiting the retarder based on the polarization state of the laser beams exiting the retarder.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) sensing apparatus together with a projector subassembly is provided. The 3D sensing apparatus includes two cameras, which may be configured to capture ultraviolet and/or near-infrared light. The 3D sensing apparatus may also contain an optical filter and one or more computing processors that signal a simultaneous capture using the two cameras and processing the captured images into depth. The projector subassembly of the 3D sensing apparatus includes a laser diode, one or optical elements, and a photodiode that are useable to enable 3D capture.

Abstract: A display device includes a first light source configured to emit first pixel light in each of which lights of a plurality of different wavelengths are mixed with one another, a second light source configured to emit a plurality of second pixel lights in each of which lights of a plurality of different wavelengths are mixed with one another, and an optical scanner configured to output an image including the plurality of first pixel lights and the plurality of second pixel lights to an external space by sequentially changing travelling paths of the plurality of first pixel lights and the plurality of second pixel lights.

Abstract: A laser scanner that includes a transmission path and a reception path that is spatially separate from the transmission path, at least in areas. In the laser scanner, the transmission path and the reception path meet on opposite sides of an angularly movable deflection mirror of the laser scanner. An angular position of the deflection mirror in the transmission path defines a scan angle of a laser light of the laser scanner, and the angular position in the reception path compensates for an incidence angle of a reflection of the laser light.

Abstract: A scanning projector display includes a plurality of light engines coupled to a MEMS scanner. Each light engine includes a light source subassembly for providing a diverging light beam optically coupled to a collimator for collimating the diverging light beam. In operation, the collimated light beams of the plurality of light engines impinge onto the tiltable reflector at different angles of incidence. A controller may be operably coupled to the light source subassembly of each light engine of the plurality of light engines and the MEMS scanner for tilting the tiltable reflector of the MEMS scanner. The controller is configured to energize the light source of each light engine in coordination with tilting the tiltable reflector for displaying the image.

Abstract: A beam combining device combines laser beams and performs speckle reduction of the laser light. Two laser beams are incident on a non-polarizing beam splitter and combined beams are split into two light paths with different optical path lengths. The two light paths may have different geometric path lengths and/or different indices of refraction in the paths to produce the different optical path lengths. One of the light paths is passed through a polarization rotation device and then the two light paths are recombined with a polarizing beam splitter to produce a combined reduced speckle laser beam.

Abstract: Disclosed is a diffraction microscopy capable of reducing influence of an increase in the incident angle range of a beam. Specifically disclosed is a diffraction microscopy in which a beam is incident on a sample, in which the intensity of a diffraction pattern from the sample is measured, and in which an image of an object is rebuilt using Fourier interactive phase retrieval on the basis of the measured intensity of the diffraction pattern. In this method, Fourier interactive phase retrieval is performed using deconvolution on the diffraction pattern subjected to convolution by the increase in the incident angle range of the beam.

Abstract: Speckle effect in scanning display systems that employs polarized phase-coherent light is reduced by depolarizing the phase-coherent light using a depolarizer and scanning the depolarized light for producing desired images.

Abstract: A direct imaging system comprises an illumination unit comprising a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources configured to emit a plurality of beams, an optical system for forming the plurality of beams to be aligned in position or angle, an acoustic optical modulator positioned to receive the plurality of beams aligned in one of position or angle and to consecutively diffract different portions of the plurality of beams as an acoustic wave propagates in an acoustic direction, and a scanning element adapted to scan an exposure plane with the plurality of beams modulated by the acoustic optical modulator at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is selected to incoherently unite the different portions of the plurality of beams into a single exposure spot.

Abstract: An optical scanning device separately scanning plural scan target surfaces in a first direction with light includes: a light source unit configured to emit first and second light beams mutually different in polarization state; an optical deflector configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and deflect the emitted light beams; an imaging optical element provided on respective optical paths of the deflected light beams; a polarization adjustment element provided on the optical paths of the light beams transmitted through the imaging optical element, and configured to correct respective changes in polarization state of the light beams occurring during the transmission of the light beams through the imaging optical element; and a polarization separation element provided on the optical paths of the light beams emitted from the polarization adjustment element, and configured to separate the light beams from each other.

Abstract: An optical scanning device scanning scan target surfaces in a first direction with light includes: a light source emitting first and second light beams corresponding to two of the scan target surfaces; an optical deflector including a reflection surface on which the emitted first and second light beams are obliquely incident while being separated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and deflecting the first and second light beams; a scanning lens disposed on respective optical paths of the deflected first and second light beams; and a branching optical element transmitting therethrough most of the first light beam transmitted through the scanning lens, and reflecting most of the second light beam transmitted through the scanning lens. The deflected first and second light beams intersect between the optical deflector and the branching optical element, when projected on a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: Optical beams emitted by optical sources are incident on a mirror surface of a scan mirror in a substantially vertical direction and reflected in a substantially vertical direction by the scan mirror. The mirror surface of the scan mirror is driven to repeatedly rotate two-dimensionally by a predetermined scan angle by a scan mirror drive circuit. A polarized beam splitter causes the optical beam emitted by the optical source to be incident on the scan mirror through a quarter wave plate, and outputs the optical beam that has been reflected by the scan mirror and passed through the quarter wave plate toward the screen. A scan angle expander is arranged on the output side of the polarized beam splitter, whereby the scan angle of the optical beam is increased by N times.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus has first and second light sources, a deflection scanning device, and first and second scanning optical systems that guide the first and second laser beams deflected for scanning by the deflection scanning device. The first and second scanning optical systems include scanning lenses and a polarization beam splitter arranged in a downstream side of an optical path of the scanning lens, the first scanning optical system including a half-wave plate arranged in the downstream side of the optical path of the scanning lens and in an upstream side of an optical path of the polarization beam splitter, the first laser beam and the second laser beam having different phases by 180 degrees from each other before being incident on the first and second scanning optical systems.

Abstract: Variable orientation illumination-pattern rotators (“IPRs”) that can be incorporated into structured illumination microscopy instruments to rapidly rotate an interference pattern are disclosed. An IPR includes a rotation selector and at least one mirror cluster. The rotation selector directs beams of light into each one of the mirror clusters for a brief period of time. Each mirror cluster imparts a particular predetermined angle of rotation on the beams. As a result, the beams output from the IPR are rotated through each of the rotation angles imparted by each of the mirror clusters. The rotation selector enables the IPR to rotate the beams through each predetermined rotation angle on the order of 5 milliseconds or faster.

Abstract: An oscillating mirror module as a deflecting unit is disposed so that a movable mirror faces a plane where image carriers are arranged. A plurality of light source units are disposed within a plane parallel to the plane where the image carriers are arranged so that main light fluxes of light beams emitted from the light sources form predetermined angles with each other. The oscillating mirror module includes an incidence mirror that bends a plurality of light beams emitted from the light source units to direct the light beams to the movable mirror, and a separation mirror that separates the light beams scanned by the movable mirror into two opposite directions with respect to a cross-section including a surface normal of the movable mirror and perpendicular to the rotation axis of the movable mirror. A light collecting unit collects light beams so that output optical axes of the light beams corresponding to the light source units intersect on a surface of the movable mirror of the deflecting unit.

Abstract: A scanning rate is increased without causing the light utilization efficiency to decrease. An optical scanning device includes a polarization switching unit that switches the polarization direction of a beam at a predetermined switching timing; at least one polarization beam splitter that splits the beam into two optical paths in accordance with the polarization direction switched by the polarization switching unit; a reflecting optical system that causes the beams split by the polarization beam splitter to have relative angles in the same plane so as to make the beams meet at the same location; and a scanner that scans the beams made to meet at the same location by means of the reflecting optical system in a direction parallel to the plane in synchronization with the switching timing of the polarization switching unit.

Abstract: Method and system for laser cutting is disclosed. Using a novel dual-focus optical conversion unit. The dual-focus optical conversion unit may comprise a beam splitter and a convex mirror. The beam splitter may be insensitive to the polarization of an incident beam. The convex mirror may be placed beyond and parallel to the beam splitter, wherein the surface of the convex mirror may be coated with a reflective phase-retarder coating.

Abstract: A direct imaging system comprises an illumination unit comprising a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources configured to emit a plurality of beams, an optical system for forming the plurality of beams to be aligned in position or angle, an acoustic optical modulator positioned to receive the plurality of beams aligned in one of position or angle and to consecutively diffract different portions of the plurality of beams as an acoustic wave propagates in an acoustic direction, and a scanning element adapted to scan an exposure plane with the plurality of beams modulated by the acoustic optical modulator at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is selected to incoherently unite the different portions of the plurality of beams into a single exposure spot.

Abstract: Speckle effect in scanning display systems that employs polarized phase-coherent light is reduced by depolarizing the phase-coherent light using a depolarizer and scanning the depolarized light for producing desired images.

Abstract: An optical scanning device separately scanning plural scan target surfaces in a first direction with light includes: a light source unit configured to emit first and second light beams mutually different in polarization state; an optical deflector configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and deflect the emitted light beams; an imaging optical element provided on respective optical paths of the deflected light beams; a polarization adjustment element provided on the optical paths of the light beams transmitted through the imaging optical element, and configured to correct respective changes in polarization state of the light beams occurring during the transmission of the light beams through the imaging optical element; and a polarization separation element provided on the optical paths of the light beams emitted from the polarization adjustment element, and configured to separate the light beams from each other.

Abstract: Speckle effect in scanning display systems that employs polarized phase-coherent light is reduced by depolarizing the phase-coherent light using a depolarizer and scanning the depolarized light for producing desired images.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical scanning apparatus which includes first and second light sources, a deflection scanning device, and first and second scanning optical systems that guides the first and second laser beams deflected for scanning by the deflection scanning device, wherein the first and second scanning optical systems include scanning lenses, and a polarization beam splitter arranged in a downstream side of an optical path of the scanning lens, wherein the first scanning optical system includes a half-wave plate arranged in the downstream side of the optical path of the scanning lens and in an upstream side of an optical path of the polarization beam splitter, wherein the first laser beam and the second laser beam before being incident on the first and second scanning optical systems have different phases by 180 degrees from each other.

Abstract: A direct imaging system comprises an illumination unit comprising a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources configured to emit a plurality of beams, an optical system for forming the plurality of beams to be aligned in position or angle, an acoustic optical modulator positioned to receive the plurality of beams aligned in one of position or angle and to consecutively diffract different portions of the plurality of beams as an acoustic wave propagates in an acoustic direction, and a scanning element adapted to scan an exposure plane with the plurality of beams modulated by the acoustic optical modulator at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is selected to incoherently unite the different portions of the plurality of beams into a single exposure spot.

Abstract: Optical beams emitted by optical sources are incident on a mirror surface of a scan mirror in a substantially vertical direction and reflected in a substantially vertical direction by the scan mirror. The mirror surface of the scan mirror is driven to repeatedly rotate two-dimensionally by a predetermined scan angle by a scan mirror drive circuit. A polarized beam splitter causes the optical beam emitted by the optical source to be incident on the scan mirror through a quarter wave plate, and outputs the optical beam that has been reflected by the scan mirror and passed through the quarter wave plate toward the screen. A scan angle expander is arranged on the output side of the polarized beam splitter, whereby the scan angle of the optical beam is increased by N times.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a light source unit that includes a light emitting unit composed of a laser light source emitting linearly polarized light inside a package member; a deflector that deflects a light beam emitted from the light emitting unit; a pre-deflector optical system arranged on an optical path between the light emitting unit and the deflector; and a scanning optical system that scans a target surface to be scanned with the light beam deflected by the deflector. The pre-deflector optical system includes at least two parallel plate optical elements each composed of a transparent medium having an incident surface and an exit surface parallel to each other. The parallel plate optical elements are arranged to be tilted in inclination that is opposite to each other in a plane of polarization of the linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An imaging system (200) is configured to reduce perceived speckle in images (201) produced by the imaging system. The imaging system (200) includes one or more laser source pairs (205,206), with each laser source pair being configured to produce two beams (209,210) of a color. A spatial light modulator (211) is configured to produce the images (201) with light (212) from the source pairs by scanning the light (212) in a raster pattern (213) along a projection surface (202). A beam translator (225) is configured to cause lines of successive sweeps of the raster pattern (213) to be scanned with the two beams (221,222) on an alternating basis such that a line scanned by a first of the two beams in one sweep is scanned by a second of the two beams in a sequentially subsequent sweep. Other optical elements can introduce angular diversity to further reduce speckle, such as a beam shifter (2200) and a light translation element (990).

Abstract: An optical scanning device including a light source, a deflection device to deflect a light beam from the light source, an image focus optical system to focus the light beam deflected by the deflection device on a scanned surface to form an image thereon and scan a surface by the light beam deflected by deflection device to form an image thereon, a light path switching device provided between the light source and the deflection device, which switches a light path of the light beam emitted from the light source to deflect the light beam on different timings such that the light beam scans different surfaces.

Abstract: A light scanning device scanning a plurality of scanned faces by a light beam, includes a light source unit emitting a plurality of light beams including a first light beam and a second light beam having different polarization directions to each other; a beam splitter splitting each of the first light beam and the second light beam emitted from the light source unit; an incident optical system allowing each of split first light beams to be incident with an a angular difference to each other, and allowing each of split second light beams to be incident with an angular difference to each other; a deflector respectively deflecting each of the split first light beams and each of the split second light beams entered from the incident optical system; and a scanning optical system, including a polarization splitting device for splitting a plurality of the light beams deflected by the deflector based on a difference in a polarization direction, individually focusing each of the plurality of the light beams split by t

Abstract: Two integrated multi-beam sources are positioned and disposed such that each emits light toward an optical splitter. The emitted light is polarized such that the splitter brings the optical paths of the two integrated multi-beam sources generally parallel to one another such that the optical system aperture throughput for the two integrated multi-beam sources is roughly the same as for a single integrated multi-beam source. The splitter may be such that a portion of the optical energy from each source is directed into an imaging path and a portion of the optical energy is directed toward one or more non-polarizing splitters and optical sensors for, inter alia, controlling the output of the sources. In various embodiments, the number of splitters, and hence the extent of optical loss, may be reduced by use of a combined polarized and non-polarized splitter, dual polarized splitters, and time-sequenced beam generation and monitoring.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a first optical member for receiving a plurality of light beams with an interval and for causing a first group of beams to emerge with a narrower interval, the first optical member being rotatable to adjust the interval of the beams emergent therefrom; a second optical member for receiving a second light beam and the first group of beams emergent from the first optical member with an interval and for causing a third group of beams to emerge with a narrower interval, the second optical member being rotatable to change the interval between the first group of beams and the second beam; and deflecting means for scanningly deflecting a third group of beams emergent from the second optical member.

Abstract: A multibeam deflector includes a plurality of optical deflection devices formed on a single substrate and an output optical system. Each of the optical deflection devices includes a slab optical waveguide formed by a material having an electro-optic effect. The output optical system is configured to separate beams output from the optical deflection devices from each other.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source including light emitters, an aperture member collimating light beams from the light source, a deflector deflecting the light beams passing through the aperture member, and a scanning optical system condensing the deflected light beams onto a scanned surface to optically scan the surface in a main-scanning direction. The scanning optical system includes a resin scanning system having at least one resin scanning lens. At least one folding mirror/sheet glass is disposed between a scanning lens nearest to the deflector in the resin scanning system and the scanned surface. At least one scanning lens in the resin scanning system has an uneven birefringence distribution with respect to a sub-scanning direction. An optical conjugate image of the aperture member is formed between a lens surface nearest to the deflector in the resin scanning system and a lens surface nearest to the scanned surface with respect to the sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: A polarization-separation device includes: a beam splitter that includes a beam-separating surface, on which a light beam that contains a first light beam and a second light beam impinges, wherein polarization direction of the first light beam and polarization direction of the second light beam are perpendicular to each other, and incident angle of the first light beam and incident angle of the second beam vary independently while incident into the beam-separating surface; a first polarizer arranged in an optical path of light beams having transmitted through the beam splitter, and allows the first light beam to transmit therethrough; and a second polarizer arranged in an optical path of light beams reflected from the beam splitter, and allows the second light beam to transmit therethrough.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes four light sources, a pre-deflector optical system, a polygon mirror, an optical scanning system, etc. The optical scanning system includes deflector-side scanning lenses made of glass, imaging-surface-side scanning lenses made of resin, polarized light splitters, and reflecting mirrors. The deflector-side scanning lenses, the imaging-surface-side scanning lenses, the polarized light splitters, and the reflecting mirrors are arranged in this order on an optical path of light going from the polygon mirror toward drum-shaped photosensitive elements.

Abstract: Provided are a scanning optical apparatus including an incident optical system for guiding a light beam emitted from a light source unit to a deflecting unit, an imaging optical system for imaging, on the surface to be scanned, a light beam deflectively scanned by the deflecting unit, and an optical path changing unit which is provided on an optical path between the deflecting unit and the surface to be scanned and includes at least two optical path changing elements. One of an optical path changing element having a minimum reflectance has a reflectance equal to or smaller than 70% in all areas used for image formation. An on-axis light beam deflected by the deflecting unit enters the optical path changing element having the minimum reflectance at a minimum angle of the at least two optical path changing elements.

Abstract: A polarization splitting device includes a polarization beam splitter having a polarization splitting surface and allows P-polarized light to transmit therethrough and reflects S-polarized light. A subwavelength structure grating is formed on the polarization splitting surface with a grating pitch smaller than wavelength of incident light. The polarization splitting device also includes a polarizer that is arranged on an optical path of light reflected from the polarization beam splitter and has a transmission axis that is parallel to a polarization direction of the S-polarized light.

Abstract: A disclosed optical scanning apparatus for scanning a scanning surface using a light beam, the optical scanning apparatus comprises: a light source having a plurality of luminous sources; a deflection unit collectively deflecting a plurality of light beams emitted from the plural luminous sources; a light guiding unit guiding at least a portion of each of the plural light beams to a predetermined direction without using the deflection unit; and a photo-detection system receiving the plural guided light beams and the plural deflected light beams and outputting a signal based on the received light beams.