Abstract:
Holograms (85), including diffraction gratings, and methods of making them, that reconstruct an image (89) which changes as the hologram is tilted with respect to the viewer (87) and in a manner that images (89) reconstructed from copies made of the hologram (85) in monochromatic light do not have that motion. The hologram (85) is a valuable security device for authenticating documents or objects to which it is attached since it is extremely difficult to duplicate.
Abstract:
A colour image diffractive device has a surface relief structure which, when illuminated by a light source, generates a diffraction image observable at a range of viewing angles around the device. The observed diffraction image is composed of pixels of numerous different colours, with the hue and intensity of most pixels being similar to those of immediately adjacent pixels, so that the image has a substantially continuous smooth colour tone. Each combination of hue and intensity is generated by the combined diffractive effect of the physical characteristics of one or more regions of the surface relief structure. Brightness is modulated by phase cancellation method (shifting adjacent gratings) or by changing the effective area of gratings within a sub-pixel.
Abstract:
A multicolor optical image-generating device comprised of an array of grating light valves (GLVs) organized to form light-modulating pixel units for spatially modulating incident rays of light. The pixel units are comprised of three subpixel components each including a plurality of elongated, equally spaced apart reflective grating elements arranged parallel to each other with their light-reflective surfaces also parallel to each other. Each subpixel component includes means for supporting the grating elements in relation to one another, and means for moving alternate elements relative to the other elements and between a first configuration wherein the component acts to reflect incident rays of light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein the component diffracts the incident rays of light as they are reflected from the grating elements. The three subpixel components of each pixel unit are designed such that when red, green and blue light sources are trained on the array, colored light diffracted by particular subpixel components operating in the second configuration will be directed through a viewing aperture, and light simply reflected from particular subpixel components operating in the first configuration will not be directed through the viewing aperture.
Abstract:
An optical fiber diffraction grating comprising an optical fiber (10) having a diameter of 125 mu m provided with diffraction grating extending along its optical axis, a coaxial silicone resin coating (14) of 300 mu m in outside diameter on the optical fiber (12), another coaxial coating (16) of 900 mu m in outside diameter of a liquid crystal polymer such as a polyester amide, and an outermost coating (18) of 1 mm in outside diameter made of a UV-cured color resin for identification, wherein the optical fiber (10) and the coating (14) have positive thermal expansion coefficients, whereas the liquid-crystal polymer coating (16) has a negative thermal expansion coefficient.
Abstract:
A modulator for modulating incident light, the modulator comprising a plurality of equally spaced elements (116), each including a light reflective planar surface. The elements are parallel to each other with their light reflective surfaces parallel to each other. The modulator includes means for moving the elements relative to one another between a first configuration wherein the modulator reflects the incident light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein the modulator diffracts the incident rays of light as they are reflected. At least one of the facing surfaces (114) (110) of the elements and underlying substrate (108) is configured to reduce any tendency to stick as they are pulled together. The light reflective surfaces of the elements remain parallel to each other in both the first and the second configurations and the perperdicular spacing between the reflective surfaces of adjacent elements is equal to m/4 times the wavelength of the incident light, wherein m = an even whole number or zero when the elements are in the first configuration and m = an odd number when the elements are in the second configuration.
Abstract:
A method of multiple replication of a diffractive optical glass surface relief profiles into other glass-type substrates. For example, a malleable but hardenable layer formed on a glass substrate is embossed with a stamper having a reverse image of the optical glass surface relief profile, to result in a high quality copy of the original diffractive glass surface relief profile. The embossed layer is hardened and separated from the stamper. The hardened layer having the embossed surface relief profile is, for instance, etched down such that the surface relief profile is etched in to the surface of the glass substrate. The result of this method is a readily producible and very durable glass or like-material accurate replica, having high fidelity and being capable of providing high quality images, of another diffractive optical element.
Abstract:
A zoned lens comprises at least two adjacent zones (16) formed such that the differences between the optical path lengths between an object point and a pixel of light beams extending through these two adjacent zones (16) of the lens (15) are at least equal to half the coherence length of the light used, preferably at least equal to the coherence length of the light used.
Abstract:
Optical apparatus for dispensing a visible light spectrum into primary color bands and directing each color band into a specific pixelated cell of a passive display. The apparatus includes an array of refractive microlenses arranged parallel to the plane of the passive display such as a liquid crystal display and a diffraction grating arranged parallel and in close proximity to the lens array. The microlenses focus visible light onto the display while the diffraction grating separates the visible light into primary color bands in different diffraction orders such that the colors are directed to and transmitted through the corresponding specific pixelated cells.
Abstract:
An optical grating includes a sequence of grating lines, the sequence being such that each grating line is centred on a position which is an integer multiple of a line spacing distance from a datum position on the grating, the sequence of grating lines is non-periodic and the sequence of grating lines is formed from N concatenated subsequences. Each subsequence comprising a series of one or more instances of a respective grating line pattern. Such an optical grating has a structure that is more amenable to calculation of the grating lines necessary to achieve a desired characteristic. A method of calculating and fabricating such a grating is also disclosed.
Abstract:
Source of laser radiation for a printer includes at least one diode array (300-330) and an optical system (400, 540, 550) which is telecentric in at least one azimuth for imaging the near field distribution from the laser diode array(s) (300-330) on a recording medium (470).