The invention relates to an image generating device having a radiation source for one or more output beams having Gaussian radiation characteristic, in particular a laser beam source, having a device for generating Bessel-like beams from one or more output beams, having a controllably drivable MEMS scanner, wherein the Bessel-like beams are directed onto the MEMS scanner and are deliberately deflected by the MEMS scanner to generate an image, and having at least one display body at least partially transmissive to the Bessel-like beams, onto which the Bessel-like beams are guided by the MEMS scanner.

An image display apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an output section that outputs projection light along a predetermined axis; an irradiated member to be irradiated with the projection light; and a first optical member that is disposed downstream of the irradiated member on a light path of the projection light, and reflects or diffuses a portion of the projection light that has transmitted through the irradiated member.

Methods, systems and devices for diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems allowing electronically pointing and focusing light at different focal planes. The system can be incorporated into a variety of optical schemes for providing electrical control of transmission. In another embodiment, the system comprises diffractive waveplates of different functionality to provide a system for controlling not only focusing but other propagation properties of light including direction, phase profile, and intensity distribution. The diffractive waveplate lens and mirror systems are applicable to optical communication systems.

Optical beam steering and focusing systems, devices, and methods that utilize diffractive waveplates are improved to produce high efficiency at large beam deflection angles, particularly around normal incidence, by diffractive waveplate architectures comprising a special combination of liquid crystal polymer diffractive waveplate both layers with internal twisted structure and at a layer with uniform structure.

A system for generating pump illumination for laser sustained plasma (LSP) is disclosed. The system may include an illumination source configured to output a pump beam, one or more focusing optics, and one or more beam shapers configured to reshape the pump beam to provide a shaped pupil power distribution at an illumination pupil plane of the one or more focusing optics. The shaped pupil power distribution may include at least one of a flat-top distribution or an inverted distribution with a central local intensity minimum. Further, the one or more focusing optics may receive the pump beam from the one or more beam shapers and direct the pump beam to a plasma-forming material, whereby the pump beam at least one of forms or maintains a plasma that emits broadband illumination.

A compound prism module is provided, including a first prism and a second prism. The first prism includes a first light-incident surface, a first reflecting surface, and a first light-emergent surface connected to each other, where the first light-incident surface and the first light-emergent surface are connected to each other on a first side edge. The second prism includes a second light-incident surface, a second reflecting surface, and a second light-emergent surface connected to each other, where the second light-incident surface and the second light-emergent surface are connected on a second side edge. The first light-incident surface and the second light-incident surface are connected to each other and are coplanar, the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface are connected on a third side edge, there is a spacing between the third side edge and a connection between the first light-incident surface and the second light-incident surface.

An illumination source apparatus (500), suitable for use in a metrology apparatus for the characterization of a structure on a substrate, the illumination source apparatus comprising: a high harmonic generation, HHG, medium (502); a pump radiation source (506) operable to emit a beam of pump radiation (508); and adjustable transformation optics (510) configured to adjustably transform the transverse spatial profile of the beam of pump radiation to produce a transformed beam (518) such that relative to the centre axis of the transformed beam, a central region of the transformed beam has substantially zero intensity and an outer region which is radially outwards from the centre axis of the transformed beam has a non-zero intensity, wherein the transformed beam is arranged to excite the HHG medium so as to generate high harmonic radiation (540), wherein the location of said outer region is dependent on an adjustment setting of the adjustable transformation optics.

In various embodiments, laser delivery systems feature variable polarizers and beam shapers for altering the polarization and/or shape of the output beam for processing of various materials. The polarization and/or shape of the beam may be varied based on one or more characteristics of the workpiece.

An optical assembly for an analyzer instrument for analysis of elemental composition of a sample using optical emission spectroscopy includes: an exciter generating an excitation focused at a target position to produce optical emission from the sample; and an optical arrangement including a light collection arrangement transferring the optical emission from the target position to a detector assembly's detector interface. The light collection arrangement includes: an off-axis parabolic light collecting mirror including an aperture, a lens arrangement including converging and diverging axicon lens portions, the lens arrangement positioned so its optical axis is parallel to that of the light collecting mirror and intersects a surface of the light collecting mirror at the aperture, and an off-axis parabolic focusing mirror having its focal point at the detector interface, the optical axis of the lens arrangement being parallel to that of the focusing mirror and intersects the focusing mirror's surface.

A method and an apparatus for determining the heating state of an optical element in a microlithographic optical system involves at least one contactless sensor which is based on the reception of electromagnetic radiation from the optical element. The radiation range captured by the sensor is varied for the purposes of ascertaining a temperature distribution in the optical element.