Abstract: Compositions and methods wherein ordered structures of photonic nanocrystals are created in a liquid medium and then such structures are fixed by converting the liquid medium to a solid. In addition, compositions and methods of reversibly fixing such structures, so that ordered structures can be reversibly created in a liquid medium, converted to solid, and then converted back to liquid, wherein new ordered structures can be created and again fixed.

Abstract: An optical scanning projector includes: a raster scanning unit that draws an image in a drawing area on a display surface by scanning beams in a first direction on the display surface while scanning beams in a second direction on the display surface that is orthogonal to the first direction; and a vector scanning unit that draws an image by irradiating beams so as to sequentially form segments each connecting two different points positioned on the display surface.

Abstract: A laser scanning unit and a color image forming apparatus using the laser scanning unit. The laser scanning unit includes a deflector that is rotatable to deflect a plurality of light beams that are incident on the deflector from a plurality of light sources at an angle with respect to a sub-scanning direction; at least one optical path changing member to change an optical path of each of the light beams deflected by the deflector; and a first f-? lens to focus the light beam that passes through the optical path changing member onto a corresponding scanning target surface.

Abstract: An optical traveling-wave resonator that includes a magneto-optically active member through which an optical beam propagates on a non-planar optical propagation path circuit. The resonator further includes at least one mirror in the optical propagation path circuit and a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field to the magneto-optically active member such that resonant optical frequencies of normal modes corresponding to traveling waves in opposite directions are substantially different.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing is disclosed for an electrophoretic display apparatus that includes an array substrate and an electrophoretic film laminated to the array substrate. A thermally activated adhesive is used to adhesively attach the electrophoretic film to the array substrate. The electrophoretic film is first aligned to and flattened against the array substrate and then a substantially stronger than original adhesion property of the adhesive is activated by annealing at a high temperature that is substantially greater than room temperature. Rework prior to annealing is therefore possible when alignment errors occur between the electrophoretic film and the array substrate.

Abstract: The optical modulator includes an optical waveguide element in which a first waveguide is formed obliquely to an outgoing end surface, and a second waveguide is formed obliquely to both the first waveguide and the outgoing end surface, a lens which makes parallel optical paths of first and second modulated light beams outgoing from the first and second waveguides, a phase delay element which applies a phase delay to at least one of the first and second modulated light beams, a polarization beam rotating unit which rotates at least one polarized wave of the first and second modulated light beams to make the polarized waves orthogonal to each other between the two modulated light beams, and a polarization beam combining element which combines the first and second modulated light beams whose polarized waves are made orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for attenuating an optical beam. The method includes selecting a level of attenuation to be applied to the optical beam. A pattern of on-state and off-state pixels in a two dimensional spatial light modulator (SLM) is selected such that the pattern will modulate the optical beam to provide the selected level of attenuation. Finally, the optical beam is directed onto the SLM while tile pixels are arranged in the selected pattern. The pattern is periodic along a first axis and symmetric along a second axis along which an intensity distribution of die optical beam extends.

Abstract: Systems and methods for optical tracking are disclosed. One optical tracking system includes a first optical element configured to focus a light beam and a second optical element configured to redirect the focused light beam from the first optical element. The second optical element is configured to move in order to continuously receive the focused light beam during movement of the focused light beam. Another optical tracking system includes an optical element configured to redirect a light beam and a photosensitive material configured to change its optical properties when it receives the redirected light beam, in order to continuously redirect the light beam during movement of the light beam. The optical tracking methods employ the above-described optical tracking systems.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention a digital micro-mirror device is taught that includes a pixel occupying an area of the device and a hinge coupled to the pixel and positioned such that at least a portion of the hinge falls outside the area of the pixel.

Abstract: An illumination device is provided and has a light guide plate, a light source and a light modulator, wherein the light modulator has a pair of transparent substrates a pair of electrodes and a light modulator layer. The light modulator layer includes a first region being changed between a transparent state and a scatterable state depending on intensity of an electric field, and a second region being more transparent than the first region in a scatterable state at an electric field having a certain intensity, the electric field being applied when the first region is changed between the transparent state and the scatterable state, and an occupancy rate of the first region in the light modulator layer is increased with increase in distance from the light source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light modulating device, comprising a SLM and a pixelated optical element, in which a group of at least two adjacent pixels of the SLM in combination with a corresponding group of pixels in the pixelated optical element form a macropixel, the pixelated optical element being of a type such that its pixels comprise a fixed content, each macropixel being used to represent a numerical value which is manifested physically by the states of the pixels of the SLM and the content of the pixels of the pixelated optical element which form the macropixel.

Abstract: A light deflector capable of deflecting light in a predetermined deflection direction and modulating the angle of deflection of light includes a plurality of liquid crystal deflection elements arranged in the predetermined deflection direction. In at least one pair of adjacent liquid crystal deflection elements, the dimension of one of the liquid crystal deflection elements in the predetermined deflection direction is different from the dimension of the other liquid crystal deflection element in the predetermined deflection direction.

Abstract: An interferometric modulator (Imod) cavity has a reflector and an induced absorber. A direct view reflective flat panel display may include an array of the modulators. Adjacent spacers of different thicknesses are fabricated on a substrate by a lift-off technique used to pattern the spacers which are deposited separately, each deposition providing a different thickness of spacer. Or a patterned photoresist may be used to allow for an etching process to selectively etch back the thickness of a spacer which was deposited in a single deposition. A full-color static graphical image may be formed of combined patterns of interferometric modulator cavities. Each cavity includes a reflector, and an induced absorber, the induced absorber including a spacer having a thickness that defines a color associated with the cavity.

Abstract: An optical microscanner achieves wide rotation angles utilizing a curved reflector. The optical microscanner includes a moveable mirror for receiving an incident beam and reflecting the incident beam to produce a reflected beam and a Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) actuator that causes a linear displacement of the moveable mirror. The curved reflector produces an angular rotation of the reflected beam based on the linear displacement of the moveable mirror.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a partially coherent optical beam with a fast update rate are based on scanning a focused input beam across the input end of a multimode optical waveguide. The update rate of the partially coherent optical beam produced at the output of the multimode optical waveguide is increased with respect of the input beam scanning rate by a factor approximately equal to the ratio of the core size of the multimode optical waveguide to the focal spot diameter of the input optical beam. The apparatus may include an angular optical beam deflector based on an electrooptic material such as potassium tantalate niobate (KTN) crystal.

Abstract: An optical deflector which deflects incident light, includes an optical deflection element which deflects the incident light when a distribution of internal refraction indexes of the optical deflection element is modulated. The light incident on the optical deflection element is emitted from the optical deflection element after passing through the optical deflection element a plurality of times.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image display system for multi-viewing, including a display device for displaying right-eye images and left-eye images. A system controller is electrically connected to the display device and a light modulating device. A motion sensor, in response to a control signal from the system controller, is utilized for determining the positions of the eyes of a viewer. A processor, in response to one or more image signals from the motion sensor, provides the system controller with the positions. The light modulating device is utilized for spatially or angularly deflecting the right-eye images to the right eye of the viewer and for spatially or angularly deflecting the left-eye images to the left eye of the viewer in accordance with the positions.

Abstract: There is provided a projection apparatus including a light source, a micromirror element which tilts a plurality of micromirrors arranged in an array +A° or ?A° (A>0) separately from an array surface to form a light image with light components reflected by the plurality of micromirrors, an illumination optical system which uses light emitted from the light source and causes illumination light whose incidence angle is (2A+?)° (?>0) to enter the micromirror element from a direction to which a less than 45° turn is made from a narrow side direction of the array surface of the micromirror element, and a projection optical system which a light image output from the micromirror element enters and which projects the light image onto a projection object.

Abstract: An optical device includes a non-transparent substrate. The optical device further includes a first optical layer which is at least partially transmissive and at least partially reflective to incident light. The optical device further includes a second optical layer which is at least partially reflective to incident light. The second optical layer is spaced from the first optical layer. At least one of the first optical layer and the second optical layer is movable between a first position at a first distance from the first optical layer and a second position at a second distance from the first optical layer. Movement of the at least one of the first optical layer and the second optical layer between the first and second positions modulates the reflectivity of the device.

Abstract: Two substantially one-dimensional scan line images are simultaneously generated by modulating a two-dimensional homogenous light field using a spatial light modulator having light modulating elements arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. An upper group of modulating elements are configured using a first scan line image data group, and a lower group of modulating elements are configured using a second scan line image data group. The homogenous light source is then pulsed (toggled) to direct the two-dimensional homogenous light field onto the spatial light modulator. The resulting two-dimensional modulated light field is directed through an anamorphic optical system, which images and concentrates the modulated light on an imaging surface such that two parallel one-dimensional scan line images are simultaneously formed on the imaging surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illuminator (10, 30, 40) comprising a spatial light modulator (14) including an array of elements (16) each adapted to selectively transmit incoming light without altering the direction of the light, or alter the direction of incoming light; a lamp (12) arranged to illuminate the modulator; a lens (20, 42) for directing unaltered light from the modulator onto an illumination surface (24); and means for forwarding essentially all light altered in direction by the modulator towards the illumination surface.

Abstract: A first linearly polarized bundle of rays of incident rays is converted by optical modulation with an input video signal into a second linearly polarized bundle of rays orthogonal to the first rays in polarization. The first rays pass through a polarizer before optically modulated. A second linearly polarized bundle of rays originally involved in the incident rays is reflected by the polarizer in a first direction. The second rays obtained by the optical modulation are reflected by the polarizer in a second direction. The second rays reflected in the second direction pass through another polarizer. A first linearly polarized bundle of rays involved in the reflected second rays is reflected by the other polarizer. The reflected first rays is detected by an optical sensor that is positioned outside an optical path of the second rays originally involved in the incident rays and reflected in the first direction.

Abstract: Provided is an optical processing device including: a beam emission portion which includes a plurality of optical fibers; a dispersion element which disperses a beam emitted from one optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers; a condenser lens which concentrates the beam passing through the dispersion element; and an optical path conversion optical system which converts an optical path of the beam passing through the condenser lens so that the beam is incident to one of the other optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers. An optical axis of the condenser lens is inclined with respect to an optical axis direction from the beam emission portion to the optical path conversion optical system. The inclination angle is set so that a maximum difference in focal depth of a plurality of beams having different wavelengths obtained by the dispersion element becomes smaller.

Abstract: The present speckle reduction device comprises an optical element intended to be passed through by the coherent light beam to be treated. It also includes means able to cause heating of the said optical element; and a cooling element coupled to the said optical element so as to be able to cool the latter. A control module is configured to control the heating means and the cooling element so as to create thermal perturbations in the optical element, causing corresponding variations in the refractive index of the said optical element. The optical element is a piezoelectric crystal which is excited in a specific deformation mode causing its heating.

Abstract: An ornamental display device having an interferometric modulator for displaying an ornamental image. The ornamental device may also have a signal receiver configured to receive an external signal. The ornamental device may further have a processor configured to control an image on the display based on the external signal. The external signal is emitted from a controller configured to control a plurality of ornamental devices to display coordinated images. The ornamental device may have a patterned diffuser formed on a transparent substrate to provide an ornamental image or information. The ornamental device may be a piece of jewelry or an article that may be worn. The image displayed may have an iridescent appearance. A controller may also be used to control images displayed on multiple ornamental device to provide coordinated images based on externals received or pre-programmed images.

Abstract: A magnetic field may be applied to a plasmon path to affect plasmon propagation.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display device includes a common electrode, an electrophoresis layer, and pixel electrodes. The electrophoretic layer includes cavities, with each cavity arranged between one of the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, and comprises suspension fluid, first type charged particles, and second type charged particles. The first type charged particles and the second type charged particles are dispersed in the suspension fluid. Three cavities constitute a pixel unit. The first type charged particles and the second type charged particles in each of the three cavities constituting the pixel unit are one of red, green, and blue particles, and one of yellow, magenta, and cyan particles, respectively.

Abstract: An electrophoretic display device includes: a first substrate; a second substrate arranged to face the first substrate, an electrophoretic element arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the surface of the electrophoretic element side of the first substrate; an opposing electrode formed on the surface of the electrophoretic element side of the second substrate and facing the plurality of pixel electrodes; a voltage line formed on the surface of the electrophoretic element side of the first substrate; and a partition wall having conductivity which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate and electrically connected to the voltage line.

Abstract: Provided is an organic light-emitting display device that can display a full color image by forming a simple structure of light-emitting layers and a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light-emitting display device includes a substrate; a first electrode layer formed on the substrate; a second electrode layer which is formed above the first electrode layer and faces the first electrode layer; and a light-emitting layer interposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the light-emitting layer comprises first and second light-emitting layers respectively corresponding to first and second pixels having different colors from each other, and the first light-emitting layer is commonly formed in the first and second pixels, and the second light-emitting layer is formed in the second pixel.

Abstract: An optical system may include an objective, a source of illumination, an illumination system having illumination optics configured to direct the illumination onto the objective, and at least two dynamic optical array devices located at a pupil conjugate plane and a field conjugate plane, respectively in the illumination optics. The dynamic optical array devices are configured to control one or more properties of illumination coupled from the illumination system to the objective.

Abstract: An optical module 1A is an optical module, which is manufactured from an SOI substrate having a support substrate 10 and a semiconductor layer 14 disposed on a surface 10a of the support substrate 10 via an insulating layer 12, the optical module including a movable mirror 22 in which a mirror surface 22a is formed on a side face intersecting with a Y-direction, that is movable in the Y-direction, a photodiode 32 which is provided on the surface 10a of the support substrate 10, and is optically coupled to the mirror surface 22a of the movable mirror 22, a cap member 34 which is provided on the surface 10a of the support substrate 10, that airtight-seals the movable mirror 22 and the photodiode 32, and an element electrode part 36 which is provided through the support substrate 10 and the insulating layer 12, and is electrically connected to the photodiode 32.

Abstract: This invention discloses a mirror device comprises a mirror array. The mirror array includes multiple mirror elements. Each element comprises a mirror supported on a hinge. The hinge is attached directly to the mirror and is substantially perpendicular to the mirror. The hinge penetrates a bottom surface of the mirror with a hinge-top buried in a layer of the mirror beneath a top surface of the mirror.

Abstract: A modulation system and a method for generating a return-to-zero (RZ) optical data signal are provided. The modulation system comprises a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator and a drive circuit, which includes a logic XOR gate and a differential amplifier. The logic XOR gate applies a logic XOR operation to a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) electrical data signal and an inverse of an electrical clock signal to generate an electrical intermediate signal. The differential amplifier differentially amplifies the electrical intermediate signal and an inverse of the NRZ electrical data signal to generate an RZ electrical drive signal. The drive circuit drives the MZ modulator with the RZ electrical drive signal to generate the RZ optical data signal.

Abstract: A light-emitting device used in a liquid crystal display device is provided with a planar illuminator that focuses emitted light on a predetermined light focus point, and an optical deflector that two dimensionally deflects the light from the planar illuminator. The planar illuminator switches an emission direction of the light to enable alternate switching between a first light focus state in which the predetermined light focus point is the position of a right eye of a viewer and a second light focus state in which the predetermined light focus point is the position of a left eye of the viewer. The optical deflector can modulate each of the predetermined light focus point in the first light focus state and the predetermined light focus point in the second light focus state according to movement of the viewer.

Abstract: A dual view display system that includes a display device and a first louver device. The display device is configured to display a first image at a display location to a first person at a first location and display a second image at the display location to a second person at a second location. The first louver device configured to substantially restrict a first field of view of the first image to the first person. The system may also include a second louver device configured to substantially restrict a second field of view of the second image to the second person. Such an arrangement restricts the fields of view so that, for example, a vehicle driver can not lean over and view something intended only for a vehicle passenger, such as a movie.

Abstract: A particle for a display includes a colored particle containing a colorant and a polymer having a chargeable group; and a polymer gel layer that covers a surface of the colored particle and contains a polymer gel.

Abstract: A lighting system operating using a digital mirror as its operative device. The digital mirror is used to shape the light which is a passed through advanced optical devices in order to produce an output.

Abstract: The invention describes a modulator for the quadrature modulation of an optical carrier signal with an I- and a Q-portion, where a first optical multimode interferometer (MMI) splits the optical carrier signal into four branches and that in pairs of branches the I-portion and the Q-portion respectively is modulated with a Mach-Zehnder-Structure and a second optical multimode interferometer (MMI) combines the modulated I-portion and Q-portion again to one quadrature modulated optical output signal (OS).

Abstract: A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a substrate, a movable element over the substrate, and an actuation electrode above the movable element. The movable element includes a deformable layer and a reflective element. The deformable layer is spaced from the reflective element.

Abstract: An optical switching device has multiple input ports and multiple output ports and is capable of switching a wavelength component from any of the input ports to any of the output ports. The optical switching device is configured with beam steering arrays that are controlled to provide the switching from any of the input ports to any of the output ports. The beam steering arrays may be microelectromechanical (MEMS) mirror arrays or liquid-crystal on silicon (LCOS) panels. In addition, an array of beam-polarizing liquid-crystal elements provides wavelength-independent attenuation.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus includes laser light sources corresponding to a plurality of colors, while at least one of the laser light sources corresponding to one of the colors includes a plurality of wavelength conversion laser light sources corresponding to a mutually same color and has a plurality of outputs. The image displaying apparatus is operable to display a color image by causing a spatial modulation element to perform a spatial modulation process on laser beams output from the laser light sources by using a field sequential method. When the spatial modulation element performs the spatial modulation process on the laser beams output from one of the laser light sources (e.g.

Abstract: A laser projector comprises an oscillation device for displacing at least one of a plurality of optical elements, which constitute the projection optical system of the laser projector, periodically along the direction of the optical axis of laser light. The laser projector reduces the speckle of a projection image on an arbitrary screen to such an extent as it cannot be recognized with human eyes, without having a significant effect on the image resolution, by periodically displacing the position of the smallest spot of laser light projected from the projection optical system. An image projection method is also provided.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a device (10, 10a-10d) comprising: a set of on-chip circuits (110-160, 170, 180), each of the circuits configured to generate a magnetic field (300) perpendicular to a planar surface of the set when energized; a ferrofluidic layer (40) interfaced to the planar surface; and a logic circuit (50) configured to selectively energize (200, 200a) one ore more circuits of the set such as to generate a magnetic field at the energized circuits and a deformation (41, 44, 45) of the ferrofluidic layer in response thereto and to modulate optical beams (IR1, IR2) directed to the ferrofluid layer. Preferably, an additional liquid layer (60) is interfaced to the ferrofluid layer, opposite to the on-chip circuits, which is not miscible with the ferrofluid layer. The invention can be applied to micro-display/projection devices, programmable optical reflecting lenses, or to micro-molding applications for surface replication.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus capable of forming a pupil intensity distribution of desired shape and illuminance and, in turn, capable of realizing illumination conditions of great variety. The apparatus has a spatial light modulation unit composed of a first spatial light modulator and a second spatial light modulator arranged in an order of incidence of light, and a distribution forming optical system to form a predetermined light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil, based on a beam having traveled via the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator. The first spatial light modulator has a plurality of first optical elements which are two-dimensionally arranged and postures of which each are individually controlled. The second spatial light modulator has a plurality of second optical elements which are two-dimensionally arranged in correspondence to the first optical elements and postures of which each are individually controlled.

Abstract: The invention provides an adjuster for adjusting the direction of a light beam (5). The adjuster (1) has an off-state and an on-state and comprises a stack (10) of layers. The stack (10) comprises a first solid material layer (100) having a first optic axis (111), a second solid material layer (200) having a second optic axis (211), and switchable birefringent material (30). Further, the stack includes a first interface (130) between the first solid material layer (100) and birefringent material (30) and a second interface (230) between the second solid material layer (200) and birefringent material (30). In the off-state, the birefringent material (30) at the first interface (130) is configured to have an optic axis parallel to the first optic axis (111) and the birefringent material (30) at the second interface (230) is configured to have an optic axis parallel to the second optic axis (211).

Abstract: A system for equalizing pulse to pulse energy of a light beam includes a group of optical devices including an optical device configured to exhibit nonlinear properties, e.g., higher order or third order nonlinear properties. Transmission properties of an unequalized light beam passing through the group of optical devices change such that an output intensity of a resulting light beam output from the optical devices is equalized. One example configuration includes at least first and second prisms having nonlinear properties, i.e., higher order or third order, and configured as a beam steering system.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a projection apparatus comprising: a light source for emitting illumination light; a mirror device comprising a plurality of mirrors for generating an image by reflecting the illumination light toward a projecting direction by means of a deflecting operation; and a projection optical system which is placed in the optical axis of reflection light in the projecting direction of the illumination light incident to the mirror device and which projects the reflection light, wherein the optical axis of the illumination light incident to the mirror device and the optical axis of the reflection light in the projecting direction forms an angle that is larger than the expansion angle ? of the flux of the illumination light that satisfies NA=n*sin ?, where NA is the numerical aperture of the flux of the illumination light, and n is the reflectance.

Abstract: A display device includes light emitting elements corresponding to respective colors disposed on a substrate. Each of the light emitting elements corresponding to the respective colors has a cavity structure in which a light emission functioning layer including a light emitting layer is held between a reflecting electrode and a semitransmitting electrode. A cavity order of at least the light emitting element adapted to resonate a light, having the shortest wavelength, of the light emitting elements corresponding to the respective colors is 1, and a cavity order of each of other light emitting elements is 0. The light emission functioning layer except for the light emitting layer is common to the light emitting elements corresponding to the respective colors.

Abstract: Provided is a 3-dimensional (3D) display apparatus including a light source, a beam scanner, and a beam deflector array. The beam scanner scans light emitted by the light source, and the beam deflector array includes a plurality of beam deflectors arranged in an array to reproduce a light field by changing a direction of light rays scanned by the beam scanner.

Abstract: A two-terminal, variable capacitance device is described that is constructed by connecting multiple MEMS devices having different actuation or “pull in” voltages in parallel.