Abstract: Kits for creating optical art come with precut cellophane and/or adhesive tape and instructions for folding the cellophane into origami structures having desired optical qualities and/or applying the adhesive tape in a layered fashion to achieve desired optical properties. Adhesive tape or cellophane cut into specific decorative shapes is provided on a tape roll or sheet for easily peeling it off and applying it to create optical art. Tools are provided for cutting, punching out, or otherwise shaping provided cellophane and/or tape. Instruments such as polarizing films, light sources, and/or polarizing glasses are provided for viewing the optical art under polarized light. These instruments may include toy polariscopes, particularly having an ergonomic design. Diffusion lenses are provided to enhance the viewing experience. Photoelastic models and puppets may also be provided.

Abstract: A film construction (610) includes a group of microlayers that reflect normally incident light polarized along a first axis more than normally incident light polarized along a second axis. The microlayers are arranged into optical repeat units (ORUs) that have a layer thickness distribution along a thickness axis perpendicular to the first and second axes that provides the group of microlayers with an intermediate reflectivity over an extended reflection band for a given incidence condition. The ORUs include thinner ORUs whose thicknesses are less than an average thickness, and thicker ORUs whose thicknesses are greater than the average thickness. The group of microlayers is optically immersed in a medium having a refractive index greater than air, such that “supercritical light” can propagate through the microlayers. The microlayers are oriented such that, on average, the thinner ORUs are closer than the thicker ORUs to an output surface of the construction.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical film including a copolymer that includes (a) an alkene monomer, (b) an acrylate monomer, and (c) at least one of an unsaturated organic acid monomer and an unsaturated acid anhydride monomer having one or more double bonds, a protective film for a polarizer film, and a polarizer plate and an image display device using the same.

Abstract: A beam steering apparatus includes a first beam steering stage and at least a second beam steering stage arranged in-line with the first beam steering stage. The first beam steering stage includes a first polarization grating comprising a uniaxial birefringent material having a first periodic director pattern, and the second beam steering stage includes a second polarization grating comprising a uniaxial birefringent material having a second periodic director pattern. In nonmechanical embodiments, a polarization selector may be arranged to provide a circularly polarized input beam incident on the first polarization grating. In mechanical embodiments, at least one of the first polarization grating and the second polarization grating may be operable to be independently rotated about an azimuth thereof. Related methods of operation are also discussed.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate, which is free of appearance defects caused by dents, contaminants, or scratches, and has an improved adhering strength between a polarizer and a cycloolefin-based resin film, includes the steps of performing a corona discharge treatment at a power density of 0.9 to 2.5 kW on the surface of a cycloolefin-based resin film where a polarizer is to be placed; washing, with water, the corona discharge-treated cycloolefin-based resin film; and bonding a polarizer to the cycloolefin-based resin film with an adhesive interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A polarization system having an active illumination source to produce polarized rays for irradiating a scene. The polarized illumination has a first predefined polarization state with at least one wavelength, a waveband detector to detect reflected rays from the scene, and a polarizing filter coupled to the waveband detector having a second predefined state which is selectively chosen according to the first predefined polarization state of the illumination source, and an enhanced image of the scene produced by said waveband detector.

Abstract: A display device (200) configured to provide two-dimensional and three dimensional perception. The device comprises a display panel (230), a backlight arrangement (201) and control circuitry (232). The backlight arrangement comprises a first layer (210) in the form of an optically clear lightguide, a birefringent second layer (202) and a third layer (204). At least one interfacing surface between any two of the layers comprises a microstructure (206) in the form of a plurality of essentially parallel structures extending in a direction of extension (x) of the structures. The device further comprises first (218) and second (219) light sources that are configured to emit light into the lightguide in a first (z) and a second direction (-z), respectively. The first and second directions are essentially opposing directions and the first and second directions are essentially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the microstructure.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical device having inhomogeneous polarization selectivity. The optical device includes a transparent substrate having a surface, a first optical element and a second optical element. The first and the second elements are disposed on the surface. The first optical element has a first polarization selectivity at least within a full visible frequency domain. The second optical element has a second polarization selectivity at least within a full visible frequency domain. The first and the second polarization selectivities have different orientations.

Abstract: Disclosed is a projection image display apparatus which includes a light source; and an illumination optics including a phase difference plate. The illumination optics is configured to form an image on a liquid crystal panel with light beams emitted from the light source. The phase difference plate has a deviation in viewing angle characteristics and is arranged to yield a desirable phase difference for a light beam directed in a direction of high intensity among incident light beams distributed at various angles.

Abstract: An optical laminate is provided which has anti-dazzling properties and can realize excellent glare preventive properties and black reproducibility (gradation rendering of black at low brightness). The optical laminate includes a light transparent base material and an anti-dazzling layer or a light diffusion layer provided on the light transparent base material, wherein the outermost surface of the anti-dazzling layer or light diffusion layer has a concavoconvex surface. The anti-dazzling layer satisfies the requirements that Sm is not less than 100 ?m and not more than 600 ?m, ?a is not less than 0.1 degree and not more than 1.2 degrees, and Rz is more than 0.2 ?m and not more than 1 ?m, wherein Sm represents the average spacing of concavoconvexes in the anti-dazzling layer, ?a represents the average inclination angle of the concavoconvexes, and Rz represents the average roughness of the concavoconvexes.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a glass composition and articles made from the composition that are both polarizing and photorefractive. The glass has, for example, a composition consisting essentially of, in weight percent (“wt. %”) of 70-73 SiO2, 13-17% B2O3, 8-10% Na2O, 2-4% Al2O3, 0.005-0.1% CuO, <0.4% Cl, 0.1-0.5% Ag, 0.1-0.3% Br. In another embodiment the composition consists essentially of 70-77% SiO2, 13-18% B2O3, 8-10% Na2O, 2-4% Al2O3, 0.005-0.1% CuO, <0.4% Cl, 0.1-0.5% Ag, 0.1-0.3% Br. The glass can be used make articles or elements that can exhibits both the photorefractive effect and the polarizing effect within a single element or article, and can be used to make a variety of optical elements including Bragg gratings, filtering elements, and beam shaping elements and light collection elements for use in display, security, defense, metrology, imaging and communications applications.

Abstract: The invention provides a polyvinyl alcohol film composition including: (A) 100 parts by weight of polyvinyl alcohol; and (B) 0.001 to 30 parts by weight of a multi-hydroxyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The POSS is soluble in polar solvents, but insoluble in water. The invention also provides a polarizing plate containing the polyvinyl alcohol film composition.

Abstract: Techniques and devices for depolarizing light and producing a variable differential group delays in optical signals. In one implementation, an input optical beam is split into first and second beams with orthogonal polarizations. One or two optical reflectors are then used to cause the first and second optical beams to undergo different optical path lengths before they are recombined into a single output beam. An adjustment mechanism may used implemented to adjust the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams to produce a variable DGD. When the depolarization of light is desired, the difference in the optical path lengths of the first and second beams is set to be greater than the coherence length of the input optical beam.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal display and a polarizing plate used in the same. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell and a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate respectively provided on each side of the liquid crystal cell. The first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate each includes a polyvinyl alcohol polarizing film and protective films provided on both sides of the polyvinyl alcohol polarizing film, the protective films that are provided on surfaces opposite to the liquid crystal cell of the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate each has vapor transmissivity of 100 g/m Day or less, and the protective films that are provided on surfaces abutting the liquid crystal cell of the first polarizing plate and the second polarizing plate each has the vapor transmissivity of more than 1,500 g/m Day.

Abstract: A polarizer including a polarization grating comprising a polarization sensitive photo-alignment layer and a liquid crystal composition arranged on said photo-alignment layer. An alignment pattern, corresponding to the polarization pattern of a hologram, is recorded in the photo-alignment layer, and the liquid crystal composition is aligned on the photo-alignment layer.

Abstract: A polarized light source comprises a light emitting source and a polarization conversion device. The polarization conversion device comprises a fixing device (107), and a transparent moveable carrier (104) having motion state with respect to the fixing device (107) and provided with light wavelength conversion material (103). The polarization conversion device further comprises a stationary polarization beam splitter (101) close to the moveable carrier for transmitting a portion of excited light from the light wavelength conversion material (103) to provide a polarized emitted light and reflecting the other portion back to the light wavelength conversion material (103). A filter (102) for reflecting the excited light and transmitting the light from the light emitting source can be disposed at the side of the moveable carrier opposite to the polarization beam splitter (101).

Abstract: For readjusting a polarization drift in the transmission of a polarization-encoded optical signal from a transmitter via a light guide to a receiver, optical auxiliary signals having the same wavelength as the polarization-encoded signal as well as different polarizations as in correspondence with a first base and a second base are fed into the light guide on the side of the transmitter while the transmission of the polarization-encoded signal is interrupted, and the optical auxiliary signals are picked up from the light guide and checked for shifts of the different polarizations by a polariometer on the side of the receiver, whereupon, in the event of the detection of polarization shifts, the different polarizations shifted during the transmission are displaced in the sense of the polarization set values via a polarization controller associated with the light guide.

Abstract: Etendue maintaining polarization switching occurs, according to various embodiments, with a mirror that quickly transitions between two positions. Light having uniform polarization is transmitted to the mirror. Light reflected off of the mirror in one of the two positions has its polarization changed, whereas light reflected off of the mirror in the other of the two positions has its polarization maintained. Thereafter, the polarization-changed light and the polarization-maintained light easily may be recombined in an entendue-maintaining manner. Because the recombined light includes two different polarization states, stereoscopic images may be generated.

Abstract: A stereoscopic projection system includes an optical engine, a relay lens group, a polarization conversion system and two identical projection lenses. The optical engine is used for outputting a non-polarized image light. The non-polarized image light is imaged into the polarization conversion system through the relay lens group to produce an intermediate image. The polarization conversion system includes a polarization beam splitter, a polarization rotating element and a polarization switch. The polarization beam splitter is used for splitting the non-polarized image light into a first-state first polarized beam and a second-state second polarized beam, which have the same total optical length. By the polarization switch, the first output polarized beam and the second output polarized beam are alternately switched between the first state and the second state. The projection lenses are located in the first optical path and the second optical path for projecting the intermediate image.

Abstract: Optical constructions are disclosed. A disclosed optical construction includes first and second major surfaces (110,120) that face each other and are separated by an air gap (130). The first and second surfaces are susceptible to physically contact each other at a first location (x) in the air gap. The optical construction further includes an optical film (140) that is disposed at the first location to prevent the first and second major surfaces from contacting each other at the first location. The optical film has an effective index of refraction that is not greater than about 1.3.

Abstract: Optical constructions are disclosed. A disclosed optical construction includes a reflective polarizer layer, and an optical film that is disposed on the reflective polarizer layer. The optical film has an optical haze that is not less than about 50%. Substantial portions of each two neighboring major surfaces in the optical construction are in physical contact with each other. The optical construction has an axial luminance gain that is not less than about 1.2.

Abstract: A tandem beam splitter for real-time polarization difference sensing, with at least one body having two faces that isolate two orthogonal planes of information from a common stimulus input in series, with a first of the two faces isolating a first plane of information and a second of the two faces isolating a second plane of information which is orthogonal to the first plane.

Abstract: A laminated half-wave plate includes: first and second wave plates having optical axes intersecting each other, wherein when phase differences of the first and second wave plates with respect to a wavelength ? are represented by ?1 and ?2, in-plane bearing angles formed by a polarization plane of a linearly-polarized beam incident on the laminated half-wave plate and the optical axes of the first and second wave plates are represented by ?1 and ?2, an angle formed by the polarization directions of the linearly-polarized beams incident on and emitted from the laminated half-wave plate is represented by ?, and an optical axis adjustment amount is represented by a, the following expressions are satisfied: ?1=180°+n×360°; ?2=180°+n×360° (where n in ?1 and ?2 is a non-negative integer); ?1=?/4+a; and ?2=3?/4?a.

Abstract: Curved lenses configured to decode three dimensional content and method of fabricating the same. The lenses decode three-dimensional content displayed on televisions or computer monitors. Sheets from which the lenses are cut have either (i) a polarizing axis of 0 degrees relative to horizontal and one sheet has a retarder axis at ?45 degrees relative to horizontal and the other sheet has a retarder axis of +45 degrees relative to horizontal; (ii) a polarizing axis of ?45 degrees relative to horizontal and one sheet has a retarder axis at 0 degrees relative to horizontal and the other sheet has a retarder axis of 90 degrees relative to horizontal; or (iii) a polarizing axis of +45 degrees relative to horizontal and one sheet has a retarder axis at 0 degrees relative to horizontal and the other sheet has a retarder axis of 90 degrees relative to horizontal.

Abstract: A leaky-mode resonant retarder is described. The retarder may include a substrate and a spatially modulated periodic layer coupled to the substrate, where the spatially modulated periodic layer is configured to shift a phase between two perpendicular electric-field components of incident light. The retarder may operate as a half-wave plate or a quarter-wave plate.

Abstract: A beam sampling system, includes a first beam splitter adapted to split a laser beam having a primary polarization component and a secondary polarization component, into a first intermediate sample beam, and a first beam splitter output beam, the intermediate sample beam including first percentage of the primary polarization component and a second percentage of the secondary polarization component. A 90-degree polarization rotator is positioned in the intermediate sample beam line. A second beam splitter is mounted so that the intermediate sample beam is split into an output sample beam on an output sample beam line, and a second transmitted beam, the output sample beam including substantially said first percentage of the secondary polarization component and substantially said second percentage of the primary polarization component.

Abstract: A disclosed optical element includes three or more sub-wavelength convexo-concave structures having pitches less than a wavelength of an incident light incident to the optical element and having groove depths equal to each other and a periodic structure having the three or more sub-wavelength convexo-concave structures, the pitch of the periodic structure greater than the wavelength of the incident light, in which a predetermined polarization direction of the incident light is diffracted mainly into a specific order.

Abstract: In general, in a first aspect, the invent features a method, including providing a layer having a plurality of spaced-apart lines of a first material extending along a first direction and forming a line of a second material on opposing surfaces of each line of the first material, the first and second materials being different and adjacent lines of the second material being discontinuous. After forming the lines of the second material, forming pairs of spaced-apart lines of a third material between adjacent pairs of the lines of the second material, wherein each line of the third material is spaced apart from the closest line of the second material and the first and third materials are different.

Abstract: A reflective film includes interior layers that selectively reflect light by constructive or destructive interference, the layers extending from a first to a second zone of the film. In the first zone, the layers operate substantially as a reflective polarizer; in the second zone they operate substantially as a mirror. The layers may thus provide a first reflective characteristic in the first zone wherein normally incident light of one polarization state is substantially reflected and normally incident light of an orthogonal polarization state is substantially transmitted, and a second reflective characteristic in the second zone wherein normally incident light of any polarization state is substantially reflected. The film may have a first thickness in the first zone that is substantially the same as a second thickness in the second zone. Alternatively, the second thickness may be substantially less than the first thickness. Related methods, articles, and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an image combiner and an image display device which can easily have a wide field of view and reduce a thickness of a substrate while reducing loss of light intensity by means of a PBS. An image combiner includes a substrate transparent to visible light; and a polarization beam splitter installed in the substrate to reflect a light flux introduced into the substrate from an image-display element and to make the light flux incident on an exit pupil outside the substrate. An exit angle ?0 at which a principal ray of the light flux emitted from a center of a display surface of the image-display element is emitted from a surface of the substrate toward a center of the exit pupil satisfies a condition of 3°??0.

Abstract: An optical sheet laminate body includes: a first optical sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface, of which at least the top surface has asperities including projections and depressions; and a second optical sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface. Summits of the projections on the top surface of the first optical sheet are directly bonded, in a whole region facing the bottom surface of the second optical sheet, to the bottom surface of the second optical sheet without any intermediate material in between.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device is disclosed. The organic electroluminescent device includes a window, a polarizer placed below the window, resin placed between the window and the polarizer, and having a refractive index similar to that of the window and the polarizer, and a self-emissive layer placed below the polarizer. The polarizer includes a polarization layer for polarizing light incident from the outside, a first wave plate for retarding the phase of the polarized incident light, and a second wave plate for retarding the phase of the incident light having passed through the first wave plate.

Abstract: A reflective film includes microlayers arranged into optical repeat units, each optical repeat unit including a negatively birefringent microlayer. The microlayers are tailored to provide the film with on-axis polarizing properties, such that normally incident light polarized along a block axis is substantially reflected and normally incident light polarized along a pass axis is substantially transmitted. On-axis transmission for the block axis may be <20%, and on-axis transmission for the pass axis may be >70%. The microlayers also provide the film with angularly dependent polarizing properties: p-polarized light incident in a block plane of incidence is substantially reflected at near-normal angles but substantially transmitted at an oblique angle. The film transmits unpolarized light incident in this plane more strongly at the oblique angle than at normal.

Abstract: Optical elements, color combiners using the optical elements, and image projectors using the color combiners are described. The optical elements can be configured as color combiners that receive different wavelength spectrums of light and produce a combined light output that includes the different wavelength spectrums of light. The optical elements include a wavelength selective dichroic mirror that reflects a major portion of actinic light that can damage a reflective polarizer within the optical element. The wavelength selective dichroic mirror transmits a major portion of other wavelengths of light. The resulting color combiners using the optical element may have improved durability compared to a color combiner lacking the wavelength selective dichroic mirror. Image projectors using the color combiners can include reflective (including digital micro-mirror) or polarization (including liquid crystal) imaging modules.

Abstract: A polarization conversion element having plural polarization separation sections and plural phase modulation sections is disclosed. A light flux is separated into transmission light (P polarization) and reflection light (S polarization) by being input to a polarization separation section. The reflection light reflected at the polarization separation section is output in the same direction as that of the transmission light by being reflected again at an adjacent polarization separation section at a different position from a position where a light flux is input to the adjacent polarization separation section. The phase modulation section is disposed on an optical path of the transmission light or the reflection light and output light becomes the same polarization.

Abstract: A display substrate includes a base substrate, a reflection-polarization member, a first electrode, an insulation layer and a pixel wall. The reflection-polarization member is disposed on the base substrate to reflect and polarize incident light. The first electrode is disposed in a unit pixel area of the reflection-polarization member. The insulation layer is disposed on the first electrode. The pixel wall is disposed on the insulation layer and defines the unit pixel area. Therefore, the entire area of a unit pixel may be used as a reflective area or a transmissive area, and thus an aperture ratio may be improved in a reflection mode or a transmission mode.

Abstract: A polarization component, capable of efficiently reflecting an obliquely transmitted light beam toward a light source without degrading the transmission-polarization property of a perpendicular incident light beam, is provided. A C-plate having an oblique retardation of at least ?/8 with respect to a light beam inclined by at least 30° is disposed between at least two reflective circular polarizer layers whose selective reflection wavelength bands of polarized light overlapping each other. A combination of a reflective linear polarizer and a quarter wavelength plate may be used instead of the reflective circular polarizer. Alternatively, a combination of two reflective linear polarizer layers and two quarter wavelength plate layers (Nz?2) disposed therebetween can provide a similar effect. Further, a combination of two reflective linear polarizer layers and a half wavelength plate (Nz?1.5) disposed therebetween may be used.

Abstract: A polarizing element includes: a substrate; a plurality of reflection layers that is arranged in a band shape at a predetermined interval on the substrate; dielectric layers that are formed on the reflection layers; and inorganic micro-particle layers that are formed on the dielectric layers by inorganic micro-particles having shape anisotropy in which a length of a diameter of the micro-particles in an arrangement direction of the reflection layers is longer than a length of a diameter of the micro-particles in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the reflection layers and has convex portions toward a side of a first adjacent reflection layer and a side of a second adjacent reflection layer.

Abstract: A polarizing device for converting a circularly polarized light beam into a radial polarized light beam, wherein the circularly polarized light beam is obtained by passing a linearly polarized light beam oscillated from a laser oscillator through a quarter-wave plate. The polarizing device includes an axicon lens having a conical surface and a dielectric film formed on the conical surface of the axicon lens.

Abstract: Optical elements, color combiners using the optical elements, and image projectors using the color combiners are described. The optical element includes color selective dichroic filters and a reflective polarizer. A line passing perpendicularly through each of the color selective dichroic filters intercepts the reflective polarizer at approximately 45 degrees. The optical element can also include retarders positioned adjacent to the color selective dichroic filters. The color combiner includes partially reflective light sources coupled to the optical element. Unpolarized light having different colors can enter the color combiner through the dichroic filters, and combined light of a desired polarization state can exit the color combiner. Light having an undesired polarization state can be recycled to the desired polarization state within the color combiner, so that light utilization efficiency is increased.

Abstract: A sheet of the present invention is a sheet which is to be used such that light from a light emitting body impinges on one of surfaces of the sheet and outgoes from the other surface. The other surface of the sheet includes a plurality of minute regions 13, a largest inscribed circle of the minute regions 13 having a diameter from 0.2 ?m to 2 ?m. Each of the plurality of minute regions 13 is adjoined by and surrounded by some other ones of the plurality of minute regions 13. The plurality of minute regions 13 include a plurality of minute regions 13a which are randomly selected from the plurality of minute regions 13 so as to constitute 20% to 80% of the minute regions 13 and a plurality of minute regions 13b which constitute the remaining portion of the minute regions 13. Light transmitted through the plurality of minute regions 13a and light transmitted through the plurality of minute regions 13b have a phase difference of ?.

Abstract: The present invention provides a diffusely reflecting polarizer comprising a layer containing: a first polymer being a substantially amorphous nano-composite material and being a major phase having a birefringence of less than about 0.02, and a second polymer being a dispersed minor phase within the first polymer major phase, the major and minor phases differing in index of refraction by more than about 0.05 along a first axis and by less than about 0.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and apparatus directed toward using a contact lens and deflection optics to process display information and non-display information. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel assembly is provided, comprising: a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted; a reflector disposed on the transparent substrate; and a display panel aimed toward the reflector and substantially away from a human visual system, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted from the display panel toward the human visual system. The reflector may comprise a narrow band reflector or a polarization reflector.