A coating material (10) for coating an article is described. The coating material (10) comprises a surface (100) having an optical interference coating (110) thereon. The coating material (10) improves protection of the article from incident electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined wavelength. The coating material (10) may retroreflect at least some of the incident electromagnetic radiation, for example towards a source (e.g. a laser) thereof. An article having a coating provided by such a coating material and methods of providing such coating materials are also described.

An apparatus includes a reflector having one or more reflective faces and an opening. The reflector is selectively movable into and out of an optical path of an alignment beam. When the reflector is located within the optical path of the alignment beam, (i) the one or more reflective faces are configured to reflect a first portion of the alignment beam and (ii) the opening is configured to allow passage of a second portion of the alignment beam through the reflector. The reflector may include a retro-reflector, the retro-reflector may include multiple reflective faces, and the multiple reflective faces may be positioned around the opening.

An apparatus includes a reflector having one or more reflective faces and an opening. The reflector is selectively movable into and out of an optical path of an alignment beam. When the reflector is located within the optical path of the alignment beam, (i) the one or more reflective faces are configured to reflect a first portion of the alignment beam and (ii) the opening is configured to allow passage of a second portion of the alignment beam through the reflector. The reflector may include a retro-reflector, the retro-reflector may include multiple reflective faces, and the multiple reflective faces may be positioned around the opening.

The invention relates to a fiber and a textile woven with the fiber, the fiber has two surfaces, a light-reflective layer and a luminescent layer respectively, and thus has light-reflective and luminescent functions. The functional fiber can be woven into a textile, or used as a sewing thread or an embroidery thread, so that apparels with the textile, the sewing thread or the embroidery thread have light-reflective and luminescent properties, making the apparels fashionable and capable of providing safety.

A retroreflective traffic stripe comprising an exposed top surface containing a widely spaced repeating pattern of linear light-turning prisms over a bottom surface containing two different types of cube corner retroreflective prisms. The light-turning prisms are configured to use refraction and reflection to redirect light from distant headlights into a downward direction onto the bottom surface of the traffic stripe. Cube corner retroreflective prisms of the first type on the bottom surface have optical axes which are substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the traffic stripe and are located substantially beneath such light-turning prisms. Cube corner retroreflective prisms of the second type on the bottom surface have optical axes tilted toward the distant headlights by at least 25 degrees and are located substantially between such light-turning prisms. Under dry road conditions, the light-turning prisms and first type of cube corner prisms provide unprecedented levels of retroreflectivity. Under wet road conditions, the second type of cube corner prisms provide high levels of retroreflectivity.

A retroreflective traffic stripe comprising an exposed top surface containing a widely spaced repeating pattern of linear light-turning prisms over a bottom surface containing two different types of cube corner retroreflective prisms. The light-turning prisms are configured to use refraction and reflection to redirect light from distant headlights into a downward direction onto the bottom surface of the traffic stripe. Cube corner retroreflective prisms of the first type on the bottom surface have optical axes which are substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the traffic stripe and are located substantially beneath such light-turning prisms. Cube corner retroreflective prisms of the second type on the bottom surface have optical axes tilted toward the distant headlights by at least 25 degrees and are located substantially between such light-turning prisms. Under dry road conditions, the light-turning prisms and first type of cube corner prisms provide unprecedented levels of retroreflectivity. Under wet road conditions, the second type of cube corner prisms provide high levels of retroreflectivity.

A retroreflector has an arrangement of triples, each having three side surfaces that stand essentially perpendicular on one another. The triples are disposed on a curved or domed surface. The geometry of the triple array is adapted to the curved surface, to even out the thresholds, and extend the side surfaces of a triple. The extensions of the side surfaces project into adjacent triples. Due to the extension projecting into adjacent triples, joints are formed there, which even out the uneven area. The joints can assume the form of a protrusion filled with material or a notch in which material is missing. A forming die produces the retroreflector and a method produces the forming die. The retroreflectors have geometries having full cube surfaces, in other words Full Cubes, for curved or domed surfaces or free-form surfaces.

A retroreflector has an arrangement of triples, each having three side surfaces that stand essentially perpendicular on one another. The triples are disposed on a curved or domed surface. The geometry of the triple array is adapted to the curved surface, to even out the thresholds, and extend the side surfaces of a triple. The extensions of the side surfaces project into adjacent triples. Due to the extension projecting into adjacent triples, joints are formed there, which even out the uneven area. The joints can assume the form of a protrusion filled with material or a notch in which material is missing. A forming die produces the retroreflector and a method produces the forming die. The retroreflectors have geometries having full cube surfaces, in other words Full Cubes, for curved or domed surfaces or free-form surfaces.

Device for shaping a laser beam for an atomic sensor, comprising a retroreflector prism with an entrance area, an exit area and two reflection surfaces forming a right angle therebetween. The device for shaping includes a linear polarizer disposed upstream from the entrance area of the retroreflector prism for linearly polarizing a laser beam entering into the retroreflector prism by the entrance area, and a form birefringence plate disposed downstream from the exit area of the retroreflector prism to circularly polarize a laser beam exiting from the retroreflector prism by the exit area.

Device for shaping a laser beam for an atomic sensor, comprising a retroreflector prism with an entrance area, an exit area and two reflection surfaces forming a right angle therebetween. The device for shaping includes a linear polarizer disposed upstream from the entrance area of the retroreflector prism for linearly polarizing a laser beam entering into the retroreflector prism by the entrance area, and a form birefringence plate disposed downstream from the exit area of the retroreflector prism to circularly polarize a laser beam exiting from the retroreflector prism by the exit area.