Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include systems with multiple lasers having modified beam profiles. Systems according to certain embodiments include a first laser that produces a first beam of light, a second laser that produces a second beam of light and a beam shaping component that receives the first beam of light and the second beam of light at substantially the same position from different angles of incidence and is configured to generate from the first beam of light and the second beam of light an output beam of light having a predetermined intensity profile along a horizontal axis. Methods for irradiating a sample in a flow stream with the output beam of light are also described. Kits having one or more lasers and a beam shaping component configured to generate from a first beam of light and a second beam of light an output beam of light having a predetermined intensity profile along a horizontal axis are also provided.

Abstract: This application discloses a band-pass concentrator (BPC) for visible light communications (VLC) and a VLC system. The BPC includes a housing. A cavity is disposed in the housing, and the cavity is filled with a dielectric. A light entrance that presents a concave spherical surface and that is recessed towards the cavity is disposed on a side of the housing, a light exit is disposed on a side of the housing that is opposite to the light entrance, and a side of the light exit that is away from the cavity is configured with dielectric multilayers that has a filtering function. Compared with a conventional CPC, the BPC implement the larger field of view, higher optical gain, reduced mass, and filtering function. The VLC system using the as-proposed BPC clearly increase the communications distance, bandwidth, and receiving field of view, and reduce the overall complexity and costs.

Abstract: A system includes an initiating optics layer interposed between an electromagnetic (EM) source and a lenslet steering layer, where the lenslet steering layer includes a first positive lens element and a second negative lens element. The lenslet steering layer is interposed between the initiating optics layer and a concluding optics layer. The system includes a steering controller configured to steer an EM beam from the EM source by controlling a first relative rotation between the first positive lens element and the second negative lens element, and further by controlling a second absolute rotation of the lenslet steering layer. The system includes a rotating actuator responsive to rotation commands from the steering controller, where the rotating actuator selectively rotates the first positive lens element and/or the second negative lens element.

Abstract: This specification describes methods for imaging a sample using fluorescence microscopy, systems for imaging a sample using fluorescence microscopy, and illumination systems for fluorescence microscopes. In some examples, a system includes a cylindrical lens shaped to form a light sheet from a collimated light beam at a focal line of the cylindrical lens, a photomask shaped for elongating a diffraction limited length of the light sheet by creating an interference pattern at the cylindrical lens focal line, and a structure for tilting the cylindrical lens and the photomask relative to an imaging axis of objective lens so that a propagation axis of the collimated light beam is at an oblique angle relative to the imaging axis of the objective lens for tilted illumination of a sample.

Abstract: An optical system for assisting image positioning. The system comprises a light source (1), and further comprises a dot pattern or an interface beam-splitting pattern which is arranged on a light-emergent light path of the light source (1) and generates an interface beam-splitting projection light ray for indicating a text or an image after being projected by emergent light of the light source (1). By means of a combination of a light source (1) and a dot pattern or an interface beam-splitting pattern, a word line, a cross line, or the other patterns which can generate a beam-splitting interface can be projected. Furthermore, by virtue of a DOE moulding lens, of which an emergent face is a spherical face or an aspherical face, a specific linear light beam or the other patterns which can generate the beam-splitting interface are generated.

Abstract: Provided is a lenticular display including a lenticular lens including a plurality of columnar convex lenses that each have a semicylindrical surface and are arrayed in parallel and a lenticular image disposed on an opposite side of the convex lenses from the semicylindrical surface. The lenticular image includes an image strip group in which a plurality of image strips for displaying a plurality of display images respectively are arranged in positions for causing the image strips to be displayed through the plurality of convex lenses respectively in a state where a longitudinal direction of the image strips is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of convex lenses, and in the image strip groups, and a total width of image strips for displaying at least one display image among the plurality of display images is larger than a total width of image strips for displaying another display image.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing elongated glass components with low bow. The apparatus may include a heating element to heat a bulk glass component where a strand may be drawn from the bulk glass component in a downward direction and a gripper device including a clamping element to support the strand while pulling or drawing it from the bulk glass component in a linear motion, and a low-friction mounting element attached to the clamping element which allows translational movement of the clamping element in an x-y plane. The gripper device may further be used to reduce bow in the strand while it is being drawn by moving the clamping element on the mounting element in a direction opposite the direction of any measured transverse acceleration.

Abstract: An image sensor may include an array of pixels. Each pixel may have one or more photosensitive areas. Incident light may pass through a microlens and a color filter element to reach the one or more photosensitive areas. In some pixels, the microlens may be shifted relative to the photosensitive area to account for the chief ray angle of the incident light. In some cases, the microlenses may be toroidal microlenses with openings. The openings may be shifted relative to the center of the microlens based on the wavelength of light transmitted by the color filter element for the pixel. The greater the wavelength of light transmitted by the color filter element for a given pixel, the more the opening of the microlens may be shifted towards the center of the array of pixels.

Abstract: An arched, cylindrical Fresnel lens is designed to collimate an optical beam in one plane while allowing the beam to propagate in the orthogonal plane with minimal reflection and efficient transmission. The lens comprises a thin lens body that arches about a vertical axis to yield a hollow cylindrical shape. The lens can comprise refractive areas on one or both of its outward-facing surface or inward-facing surface, the refractive areas comprising a series of parallel angled grooves etched into the lens' substrate. The lens can also be realized by a gradient change of the refractive index in the bulk of the lens material, or can comprise diffractive gratings comprising parallel binary structures. The lens may also comprise a holographic imprint on one of its surface or its bulk, thereby attributing diffractive optical power.

Abstract: A light output apparatus includes a light source that emits light shoving different light orientation distributions in a first direction and a second direction and having a high optical intensity area larger in the first direction than in the second direction, a collimator lens that parallelizes the light emitted from the light source, and a Powell lens that spreads the parallelized light from the collimator lens in the first direction, maintains the parallelized direction provided by the collimator lens in the second direction, and outputs the resultant light along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions and serves as a central axis.

Abstract: A lens member includes a light-incident side; a light-exit side that is opposite to the light-incident side, a Fresnel lens arranged on a center axis that passes through a center of the light-incident side, and a diffraction grating structure arranged around a periphery of the Fresnel lens and having a center through which the center axis passes. Also, it is disclosed that the Fresnel lens may include a first Fresnel lens and a second Fresnel lens, the first Fresnel lens includes annular prisms that are divided from a convex lens and having a center through which the center axis of the light-incident side passes, and the second Fresnel lens includes annular prisms that are divided from a TIR lens and arranged around the periphery of the first Fresnel lens, centering around the center axis of the light-incident side.

Abstract: An optical warning system comprises a light head that includes a light source emitting light rays from a light-emitting area. The light rays propagate through an optical diffuser to provide a visual warning signal to an observer remotely located from the optical warning system. A Fresnel optic array positioned between the optical diffuser and the light-emitting area is spaced apart from and spatially aligned with the light-emitting area to receive the light rays emitted from the light-emitting area and form a collimated light beam. The Fresnel optic array is fabricated so that it exhibits increased optical transmission efficiency by reducing light lost to scattering in forming the collimated light beam.

Abstract: An optical system driving device includes a movable body that is movable in at least three degrees of freedom, and a light transmissive unit integrally mounted to the movable body. The optical system driving device also includes a driving unit that moves the movable body in at least three degrees of freedom, and a detection unit that detects a position of the movable body in each of at least three degrees of freedom. The detection unit includes a light-emitting unit that emits light toward the light transmissive unit, and an optical detector that receives light emitted from the light-emitting unit and passing through the light transmissive unit and outputs a light-receiving signal based on the received light. The detection unit also detects a position of the movable body in each of at least three degrees of freedom based on the light-receiving signal from the optical detector.

Abstract: A surgical probe can include an outer cannula; an inner cannula, rotatably disposed inside the outer cannula; a rotational scanner, disposed at an end of the inner cannula and configured to receive a light beam from a delivery fiber and to scan the light beam along a loop; and an anamorphic optical element, disposed at an end of the outer cannula and configured to receive the light beam scanned along the loop and to output the light beam along an anisotropically compressed loop. A corresponding method can include providing a light beam by a light source; coupling the light beam to a rotational scanner at an end of an inner cannula; scanning the light beam by the rotational scanner along a loop; and receiving the light beam scanned along the loop by an anamorphic optical element and outputting the light beam along an anisotropically compressed loop to a target.

Abstract: An LED light source for use in LED lighting fixtures, the LED light source comprising a submount including an LED-populated area which has an aspect ratio greater than 1, an array of LEDs on the LED-populated area, and a lens on the submount over the LED-populated area. Various embodiments facilitating preferential-side lighting, such as for roadway uses, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method of estimating a distance between the distal end of an optical fiber and treated tissue, to improve treatment efficiency, is provided herein. The estimation is achieved by modulating the numerical aperture of a light beam transmitted through the fiber to receive reflections from the tissue and distinguish them from other reflections in the fiber, and further by calculating the distance by comparing reflection intensities of beams having different numerical aperture values that illuminate the tissue over a very short period, so that tissue and environment conditions do not change much. Distance estimation may be carried out by modulating the treatment beam itself, or by a light beam transmitted between pulses of a pulsed treatment beam.

Abstract: An optical probe includes a laser light source that emits laser light, a collimator lens that converts the laser light into parallel light, a light shape changing section that converts the parallel light into linear laser light, an irradiating section to irradiate an object with a selected part of the linear laser light, an image pickup section that picks up an image of the object based on the laser light reflected from the object, and a controller that controls irradiation of the linear laser light. The linear laser light is composed of a plurality of parts including one end part and the other end part; and the irradiating section irradiates the object with the parts of the linear laser light sequentially from the one end part to the other end part.

Abstract: An optical probe includes a laser light source that emits laser light, a collimator lens that converts the laser light into parallel light, a light shape changing section that converts the parallel light into linear laser light, an irradiating section to irradiate an object with a selected part of the linear laser light, an image pickup section that picks up an image of the object based on the laser light reflected from the object, and a controller that controls irradiation of the linear laser light. The linear laser light is composed of a plurality of parts including one end part and the other end part; and the irradiating section irradiates the object with the parts of the linear laser light sequentially from the one end part to the other end part.

Abstract: A member having an arbitrary shape having a closed curve can be easily subjected to laser processing within a short time. A lens and a laser processing apparatus equipped with the lens are for cutting a material to be cut into a member having an arbitrary shape having a closed curve and include a convex cylindrical lens which is molded to have a closed path so that a line that connects vertices of a cylindrical surface of the convex cylindrical lens has the same form as the arbitrary shape having the closed curve.

Abstract: A rod lens that includes a rod-shaped lens unit made of a rod-shaped lens element or a plurality of lens elements cemented to one another, wherein, on the circumferential face thereof, the lens unit includes at least one axially magnetized magnet arrangement. The invention also relates to an endoscope with a lens arrangement, which includes at least a first and, arranged adjacent to the first, a second rod lens, and to a method for assembling such an endoscope.

Abstract: In some aspects, a flow cytometer system is provided that includes beam shaping optics positioned to manipulate a light beam and produce a resulting light beam that irradiates the core stream at the interrogation zone of the flow cell. The beam shaping optics include an acylindrical lens positioned to receive and focus light in a direction of a first axis orthogonal to a direction of light travel, and a cylindrical lens positioned to receive the light output from the acylindrical lens and to focus the light output from the acylindrical lens in a direction of a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and to the direction of light travel. The resulting light beam output has a flat-top shaped intensity profile along the first axis, and a Gaussian-shaped intensity profile along the second axis. Related methods of shaping a light beam at an interrogation zone of a flow cell are also provided.

Abstract: A condensing lens, compound-eye lens condenser, and compound-eye concentrating-type solar cell assembly. The condensing lens is a convex lens that can reflect mutually parallel incident lights (3) onto a receiving surface (4) on the outer side of the lens and thus form spots. If the vertical distance from the contact point of any incident lights (3) contacting the lens to a light axis (103) of the lens is x, the vertical distance between a projection point formed from the incident light (3) reflecting onto the receiving surface (4) and the center of the spot is m, the radius of the lens is a, and the radius of the spot is b, then the lens meets the following condition: x/m=a/b. The condensing lens has a high transmission rate, and the energy distribution of the spots is more even after condensing, the transmission rate is 90% to 93%, and the energy distribution curve of the spots transmitted through the condensing lens is similar to saddle-shaped.

Abstract: An optical arrangement has a laser configured to emit a laser beam, an amplitude mask and a focusing element. The amplitude mask is disposed between the laser and the focusing element in a path of the laser beam such that the laser beam hits the amplitude mask before being modified by the focusing element so as to direct the laser beam to a focal point within a photosensitive material.

Abstract: An optical-deflection accelerating device is provided. The device comprises an incident light source for generating an incident light-beam with a deflection speed, an emergent-light capturing device for capturing an emergent light-beam, and a reflective device which is a curved-surface reflective mirror for reflecting the incident light-beam to the emergent-light capturing device. When the incident light-beam enters to a reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror in sequence, an incident angle and a reflective angle are altered with locations of the reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror, and are increased with an increased curvature of the reflective point. When the incident light-beam is deflected with a tiny initial deflection angle, the reflective light-beam is deflected therewith and the deflection angle is enlarged. The curvature of the curved-surface reflective mirror can be adjusted to obtain different accelerated deflections.

Abstract: A spatial filter includes a first filter element and a second filter element overlapping with the first filter element. The first filter element includes a first pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a first distance. Each of the first pair of cylindrical lenses has a first focal length. The first filter element also includes a first slit filter positioned between the first pair of cylindrical lenses. The second filter element includes a second pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a second distance. Each of the second pair of cylindrical lenses has a second focal length. The second filter element also includes a second slit filter positioned between the second pair of cylindrical lenses.

Abstract: Generating a high definition projected illumination pattern from a substantially lower resolution digital projector array involves: selectively illuminating a connected set of pixels to produce a pixellated, high contrast edge feature, and positioning an anisotropically blurring optical element (ABOE) between a light source of the projector array and the projection. The ABOE applies an anisotropic blur pattern to pixels of the at least one connected set, to locally preferentially blur the pixel more (and preferably substantially only) in a direction of equally or more strongly illuminated pixels, and not in directions of less illuminated pixels. Preferably a contour of the connected set has no beginning or end within a periphery of the illumination plane, and has bounded curvature, permitting simple ABOEs to be used. Several images each having several or many edges can be produced using a same ABOE. The ABOE may alleviate interpixel gap effects for non-edge pixels too.

Abstract: A combined optical element of the present invention includes a first optical element for collecting light in one direction on an irradiated surface; and a second optical element for collecting light in another direction on the irradiated surface. The first optical element and the second optical element are superposed with light-incoming surfaces thereof as being a common surface, and a light-outgoing surface is formed only with a superposed part. This prevents light from irradiating unnecessary parts, which allows the irradiated surface of a photographic subject to be irradiated with a small amount of light emission.

Abstract: A light emitting component includes plural of light emitting elements arranged in rows on a substrate, plural lenses provided to face light emitting faces to which light beams of the plural light emitting elements are emitted, and condensing the light beams emitted from the light emitting elements, and one or plural pedestals holding the lenses such that the light emitting faces of the respective light emitting elements of the plural light emitting elements and the lenses that face the light emitting elements face the light emitting faces via gaps.

Abstract: A spatial filter includes a first filter element and a second filter element overlapping with the first filter element. The first filter element includes a first pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a first distance. Each of the first pair of cylindrical lenses has a first focal length. The first filter element also includes a first longitudinal slit filter positioned between the first pair of cylindrical lenses. The second filter element includes a second pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a second distance. Each of the second pair of cylindrical lenses has a second focal length. The second filter element also includes a second longitudinal slit filter positioned between the second pair of cylindrical lenses.

Abstract: A cylindrical lens according to the present invention is a cylindrical lens of a bi-concave type in which both of a surface on which light is made incident and a surface from which the light is emitted are formed as concave surfaces, wherein, in at least one of the concave surfaces, both ends of the concave surface projecting to outer sides are formed to coincide with a plane, a normal of the plane being an optical axis of the cylindrical lens.

Abstract: To suppress bad shaping generated due to fusion of neighboring cylindrical lenses in a lens sheet formed by using an ultraviolet curable resin, for example. A lens sheet includes: a substrate formed with a transparent material; a plurality of protruded lines provided on the substrate in parallel at a specific pitch; and a plurality of cylindrical lenses, each of which is provided between the plurality of protruded lines on the substrate. The protruded line for forming the lens is designed to be constituted with a set of two lines, i.e., a left protruded line and a right protruded line, to suppress fusion of the neighboring lenses.

Abstract: A lens including: a lens body having first and second surfaces; a flange part formed to protrude from a periphery of the lens body and to have a cylindrical outer circumferential surface; a lens installation surface formed at an outer edge part of the flange part; a recessed part formed as a part of the flange part such that a part of the cylindrical outer circumferential surface is recessed toward the optical axis; and a gate root part located at a central part of the recessed part. The gate root part has a flat surface which is in a same level with respect to the lens installation surface. The gate root part lies on an optical axis side with respect to a virtual curved surface formed by extending the cylindrical outer circumferential surface through the recessed part.

Abstract: An illumination system for providing an illumination beam to a light valve is provided. The illumination system includes a light source, a light integration rod, a color wheel, a first focusing unit and a second focusing unit. The light source is capable of generating the illumination beam, and the light integration rod is disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam. The first focusing unit is disposed between the integration rod and the color wheel and is capable of focusing the illumination beam onto the color wheel. The second focusing unit is disposed between the color wheel and the light valve and is capable of focusing the illumination beam onto the light valve.

Abstract: A lens-attached light-emitting element having an improved optical availability efficiency includes a composite lens provided on an approximately U-shaped light-emitting area of the light emitting element array. Four spherical lenses are arranged in such a manner that each is centered in the neighborhood the an end of a respective one of three segments of a U-shaped polygonal line corresponding to positions where light emitted by the U-shaped light-emitting area is a maximum Three cylindrical lens are arranged between two of the spherical lens, respectively, each cylindrical lens having an axis parallel with each segment. These four spherical lenses and three cylindrical lenses together constitute the composite lens. The light-emitting element further comprises an antireflection film covering the light-emitting area, and the composite lens is formed on the surface of the antireflection film.

Abstract: A printing medium includes: a rectangular lens sheet that has a surface formed in a predetermined lens shape; and a thin base that is fixed to a rear surface of the lens sheet on which no lens is formed and has an extending portion extending from one side of the lens sheet to the outside. In the printing medium, when a region corresponding to the rear surface of the lens sheet is referred to as a unit region, the extending portion includes a plurality of unit regions adjacent to one another with adjacent portions, which are common sides, interposed therebetween, and a first printing surface and a second printing surface having predetermined images formed thereon are formed in corresponding unit regions on one surface of the base that is fixed to the rear surface of the lens sheet or the other surface of the base. In addition, at least one unit region is additionally interposed between the unit region where the first printing surface is formed and the unit region where the second printing surface is formed.

Abstract: A spatial filter includes a first filter element and a second filter element overlapping with the first filter element. The first filter element includes a first pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a first distance. Each of the first pair of cylindrical lenses has a first focal length. The first filter element also includes a first slit filter positioned between the first pair of cylindrical lenses. The second filter element includes a second pair of cylindrical lenses separated by a second distance. Each of the second pair of cylindrical lenses has a second focal length. The second filter element also includes a second slit filter positioned between the second pair of cylindrical lenses.

Abstract: A rod lens is used for fitting in an endoscopes. The rod lens has a rod-shaped body which is made at least in a section of a flexible, transparent solid piece of plastic material.

Abstract: An optical lens refracts and reflects a light to increase a luminance in a top direction of the optical lens and to decrease a luminance in a horizontal direction of the optical lens. The optical lens includes a central portion and a peripheral portion. The central portion has a convex shape. The peripheral portion has a concave shape. The peripheral portion surrounds the central portion. Therefore, a power consumption and a manufacturing cost are decreased.

Abstract: A lighting optical apparatus using a deep ultraviolet light source that are easy to adjust due to a configuration with fewer components, has high illuminant and illuminant uniformity on an irradiated surface are provided. The apparatus has a deep ultraviolet light source from which deep ultraviolet rays are emitted, a first double-sided cylindrical lens which has a cylindrical lens array on both sides with a configuration of cylinder axes intersecting at right angles, a second double-sided cylindrical lens which has a cylindrical lens array on both sides with a configuration of cylinder axes intersecting at right angles, and a condenser lens.

Abstract: A beam alignment chamber extending in a length direction comprising a base having a front edge, and two side edges, first and second opposed side walls connected to the base, and extending along the length of the base, a front wall located at the front edge of the base having an output opening. The beam alignment chamber further comprises a plurality of arrays of light sources disposed to direct light beams through the first or second side walls, and a plurality of reflectors mounted on the base, each having independent yaw and pitch adjustments, each reflector being paired with a corresponding array of light sources, the base-mounted reflectors being disposed to direct the light beams along the length of the beam alignment chamber through the output opening forming an aligned two-dimensional array of parallel light beams.

Abstract: An optical-deflection accelerating device is provided. The device comprises an incident light source for generating an incident light-beam with a deflection speed, an emergent-light capturing device for capturing an emergent light-beam, and a reflective device which is a curved-surface reflective mirror for reflecting the incident light-beam to the emergent-light capturing device. When the incident light-beam enters to a reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror in sequence, an incident angle and a reflective angle are altered with locations of the reflective point on the curved-surface reflective mirror, and are increased with an increased curvature of the reflective point. When the incident light-beam is deflected with a tiny initial deflection angle, the reflective light-beam is deflected therewith and the deflection angle is enlarged. The curvature of the curved-surface reflective mirror can be adjusted to obtain different accelerated deflections.

Abstract: A solar concentrator comprises a curved linear Fresnel lens (16) which has a plurality of prismatic features (10, 12, 14). The prismatic features are arranged into at least two segments, in each segment the prismatic features have a common apex angle, the common apex angle differing between adjacent segments. A method of manufacturing a mould (2) for producing a Fresnel lens optical film (16) is disclosed. The method comprises rotating a mould blank, and forming a plurality of different prismatic features (10, 12, 14) on the mould blank by repeatedly advancing a cutting tool (4) onto and then withdrawing the tool away from the surface of the mould blank.

Abstract: An optical fiber micro array lens is provided along with an associated fabrication method. The micro array lens is fabricated from a mesh of optical fibers. The mesh includes a first plurality of cylindrical optical fibers. Each fiber from the first plurality has a flat bottom surface and a hemicylindrical top surface. The top and bottom surfaces are aligned in parallel with a central fiber axis. The mesh also includes a second plurality of cylindrical optical fibers. Each fiber from the second plurality has a hemicylindrical bottom surface overlying and in contact with the top surfaces of the first plurality of optical fibers, and a flat top surface. The top and bottom surfaces are aligned in parallel with a central fiber axis. Each contact of the first and second plurality of optical fibers forms a lens assembly in a micro array of lenses.

Abstract: The current invention describes the method of making symmetrical radiation of extremely asymmetrical light sources, e.g. laser diode bars, using the shaper of three optical elements that preserve the brightness of the initial light source. The first element of the shaper-collimator of the fast axis-images the light source in the direction of the fast axis directly into the output plain of the shaper. The second and the third element of the shaper are the multi-segment elements that separate and optimally redistribute different beams and focus these in the direction of the slow axis. The surfaces of the shaper optical elements are described by the surfaces of the second and higher order, which enables compensation of different distortions, for instance field curvature aberration, distortion caused by the light source bending, etc. The shaper offers optimal order of secondary beam redistribution that has the least possible impact on the initial beam brightness.

Abstract: A lens has a convex or concave shaped smooth non-spherical surface or non-circular curve which is formed of a medium indicating negative refraction.

Abstract: An exemplary laser device includes a laser source and an optical module. The laser source is configured for emitting a laser beam in the TEMxy mode, wherein 0?x?3, and 0?y?3. The optical module includes a cylindrical-type lens disposed on a light path of the laser beam. The cylindrical-type lens has a first surface and an opposite second surface, and the first surface faces toward the laser source. At least one of the first surface and the second surface is a cylindrical-type curved surface configuring for adjusting a field distribution of the laser beam of the laser source.

Abstract: Systems and methods are operable to focus light. An exemplary embodiment has a MEMS substrate, a first cylindrical lens having a first cylindrical surface, and a second cylindrical lens having a second cylindrical surface that is oriented perpendicular to the first cylindrical surface. Light passing through the first and second cylindrical lenses is focused.

Abstract: In a particular embodiment, a solid immersion lens includes meta-material slabs formed from multiple layers of at least two different compositions. Each meta-material slab has a first effective index of refraction. The meta-material slabs are adapted to propagate an evanescent wave in a direction parallel to an axis to form a cone-shaped wave along the axis. The solid immersion lens further includes a core sandwiched between the meta-material slabs along the axis and having a second index of refraction that is less than the first effective index of refraction. The core directs surface plasmons that are excited by the cone-shaped wave to a focused area coincident with the axis.

Abstract: An optical element for compensating for aberrations in a projected image resulting from an air gap between adjacent segments of a separation prism includes a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface. Each of the first and second surface define a portion of a cylinder having a radius and a cylindrical axis. The optical element is disposed between the separation prism and the projected image. A thickness of the optical element and the radius of the cylinder are selected to correspond to the aberration to be compensated and the cylindrical axis is oriented to correspond to the aberration to be compensated.

Abstract: The invention describes an optical deflection element for the refractive production of a spatially structured bundle of light beams fanned concentrically to an optical axis of the deflection element. The optical deflection element has a base body made of optically transparent material, and has a light input and output side. The light input side is configured such that a primary bundle of light beams can be coupled in the base body. The light output side has a cylindrically symmetrical contour, which defines a recess in the base body. The fanning of the primary bundle of light beams is achieved by refraction on rotationally symmetric interfaces, which are variably inclined relative to the optical axis. The invention further relates to an optical measuring device for the three-dimensional measurement of a cavity in an object and a method for producing a concentrically fanned, spatially structured bundle of light beams.