A device includes a laser light source configured to generate a raw laser beam, and an optical arrangement configured to shape the raw laser beam into an illumination beam. The optical arrangement includes a beam transformer with an exit aperture, a first group of optical elements and a second group of optical elements for beam shaping. The beam transformer is configured to expand the raw laser beam in the direction of a long axis. The first group of optical elements comprises a homogenizer configured to homogenize the expanded raw laser beam. The second group of optical elements comprises at least one lens configured to image the exit aperture of the beam transformer. The first group of optical elements generates an intermediate image. The device further includes an imaging optical unit configured to image the intermediate image into the work plane.

Provided is a light guide including: a base that has a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface and that propagates incident video light; and a plurality of half mirrors, each of which has a first surface and a second surface and is configured to include a dielectric multi-layer film, in which the plurality of half mirrors are disposed in the base such that the half mirrors are spaced from each other, the base and the plurality of half mirrors are configured such that the video light made incident into the base is incident on each of the first surface and the second surface of at least one of the plurality of half mirrors one or more times, and refractive indices of two outermost layers of the dielectric multi-layer film are 0.90n to 1.15n in a case in which a refractive index of the base is n.

Methods and apparatus for transverse sheet illuminated multiple plane imaging that can achieve simultaneous imaging of multiple z-planes in a laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscope.

A device for spectrally broadening a laser pulse is disclosed. The device includes a multipass arrangement having a convex mirror and a concave mirror, the convex mirror and the concave mirror being arranged relative to each other such that a laser pulse coupled into the multipass arrangement is reflected at least once from the concave mirror to the convex mirror and at least once from the convex mirror to the concave mirror. Further, the device includes a nonlinear optical medium arranged at least partially within the multipass arrangement such that the laser pulse coupled into the multipass arrangement passes through the nonlinear optical medium multiple times. The disclosure also relates to a laser system having a device according to the disclosure for spectral broadening of a laser pulse.

A polarization alteration device includes a resonator cavity having a resonance mode at a resonance wavelength and a linewidth. The resonator is configured to exhibit no intensity-independent birefringence or an intensity-independent birefringence, whose effect on a light wave confined in the resonator cavity is smaller than the linewidth of the resonance mode. The polarization alteration device is configured to exhibit a Kerr nonlinearity adapted to generate an additional polarization component due to symmetry breaking for a light wave confined in the resonator cavity having a light intensity exceeding a threshold intensity. The polarization direction of the additional polarization component is orthogonal to an initial polarization component of the light wave coupled into the resonator cavity. A polarization control device, a polarization sensor, a method for adjusting the polarization of a light wave and a method for sensing a change of a polarization of a light wave are further disclosed.

A method for designing a device for multi-plane conversion of light radiation, the device implementing a plurality M of phase masks intercepting the light radiation in order to phase-shift the radiation for applying a predetermined transformation to the light radiation. First and second mode families (u,v) with separable variables (x,y) are defined. A number N of pairs of indices {i,j}.sub.k is chosen to form first and second used mode families, respectively, by selecting the modes of index pairs {i,j}.sub.k from the first mode family and from the second mode family, respectively. Next, the phase-shift quantities ϕ.sub.1(x,y) are established, the M phase masks making it possible to transform each mode of index pairs {i,j).sub.k of the first used mode family into the mode of the same index pair {i,j}.sub.k of the second used mode family. A phase plate may be obtained by means of the design method and used in a multi-plane conversion device.

Systems and methods for controlling optical feedback in an optical system. A resonant optical cavity includes at least two cavity mirrors, one of which is a cavity coupling mirror, and has a plurality of optical resonance cavity modes. A radiation source emits a beam of continuous wave radiation and is capable of being scanned whereby a mean optical frequency of the continuous wave radiation beam is adjustable over a range of frequencies, wherein the radiation source is responsive to optical feedback radiation emerging from the cavity, and wherein the mode matching optics couples the beam of continuous wave radiation to the cavity via the cavity coupling mirror. The radiation source and the mode matching optics are aligned so that a mode fill ratio is reduced relative to a maximum mode fill ratio, wherein the laser beam is coupled with a fundamental cavity mode.

A device includes a light splitter configured to receive a source light beam from a light source and split the source light beam into separate light beams, each emitted through an outlet. The device also includes resonators, each of which is optically coupled to at least one of the outlets and is configured to steer at least one of the light beams.

A device for manipulating a light radiation by reflecting the light radiation multiple times on at least two reflecting surfaces of a monolithic block made of homogenous transparent material comprises a first and second zone on surfaces of the block for injecting the light radiation to be manipulated, and for extracting the light radiation after manipulation. At least one of the reflective surfaces is micro-structured to impart a determined spatial phase transformation.

A label-free detection and characterization system includes an optical source; an optical path arranged to be optically coupled to the optical source; an optical resonator disposed proximate the optical path along a side of the optical path, the optical resonator having an optical whispering-gallery mode and being optically coupled to the optical path through an evanescent field to excite the optical whispering-gallery mode; an optical receiver arranged to be optically coupled to the optical path. The optical source is frequency locked to a resonance frequency of the optical resonator and provides light sufficiently intense to provide four-wave mixing while being coupled with the optical resonator resulting in a comb spectrum received by the optical receiver. The comb spectrum provides characteristic changes in the presence of a substance in contact with the optical resonator to provide detection and characterization of the substance.