The invention disclosed herein generally relates to wideband resonant polarizers that require extremely small amounts of matter in their embodiments. These polarizers can be made with dielectric materials such that light and other electromagnetic waves interacting with them suffer essentially no absorptive loss. This new class of polarizers is fashioned with dielectric or semiconductor nano/microwire grids that are mostly empty space if surrounded by air or vacuum. It is fundamentally and practically extremely significant that the wideband spectral expressions presented herein can be generated in these minimal systems. These ultra-sparse polarizers are useful in various spectral regions for numerous useful applications.

Provided is an optical element which significantly reduces arrangement space, has superior durability, and also enables increased costs to be curbed. Functions of a polarizer and a phase difference compensation element are integrated. Specifically, the optical element has a transparent substrate, and a polarizer on one side of the transparent substrate, and has a phase difference compensation element on a side of the transparent substrate opposite from the polarizer.

A sensor assembly for detecting an object and a method of forming a sensor port in sheet metal are disclosed. The sensor assembly includes at least one electromagnetic source for emitting electromagnetic waves. The sensor assembly also includes at least one electromagnetic receiver for receiving the electromagnetic waves after reflecting from the object and corresponding with a detection of the object in proximity to the sensor assembly. In addition, the sensor assembly includes a filter cover disposed adjacent to and covering the at least one electromagnetic source and the at least one electromagnetic receiver configured to allow the electromagnetic waves to pass therethrough while reflecting visible light, thereby concealing the at least one electromagnetic source and the at least one electromagnetic receiver.

Some implementations of the disclosure relate to an optical system, including: a first light source; a secondary light source that is optically coupled to the first light source; a reflective element that is transparent with respect to the first light source but reflective with respect to the secondary light source, the reflective element being disposed between the first light source and the secondary light source; and a semi-reflective layer disposed on the secondary light source, such that reflection of light from the secondary light source by the reflective element and back through the semi-reflective element results in greater than 25% of the light from first light source exiting the optical system.

Some implementations of the disclosure relate to an optical system, including: a first light source; a secondary light source that is optically coupled to the first light source; a reflective element that is transparent with respect to the first light source but reflective with respect to the secondary light source, the reflective element being disposed between the first light source and the secondary light source; and a semi-reflective layer disposed on the secondary light source, such that reflection of light from the secondary light source by the reflective element and back through the semi-reflective element results in greater than 25% of the light from first light source exiting the optical system.

A tunable optic includes a hexagonal-shaped housing, a polar liquid, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a fourth electrode, a fifth electrode, a sixth electrode, and a grounding electrode. The hexagonal-shaped housing includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth side walls and first and second light transmissive end walls, and the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth side walls and the first and second light transmissive end walls define a hexagonal-shaped inner cavity. The polar liquid is disposed within the hexagonal-shaped inner cavity. The polar liquid has a surface, and the surface has a curvature and a two-dimensional tilt angle that is variable in response to voltages supplied to each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth electrodes, whereby lens characteristics and light deflection characteristics of the tunable optic are varied.

A polarizing plate and a display device including the same. The polarizing plate includes a retardation layer exhibiting ultraviolet blocking characteristics even in a state where the retardation layer does not include any ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer. The polarizing plate can be used alone or in combination with an appropriate sunscreen or a light stabilizer as needed to selectively block ultraviolet rays in a region requiring blocking, without affecting display performance, such as color senses and image quality, of a display device. The polarizing plate can also be formed with a small thickness without requiring a separate ultraviolet blocking layer, and also has excellent durability, because the polarizing plate exhibits a certain ultraviolet blocking property even in the absence of an ultraviolet absorber or light stabilizer.

A dielectric polarizer for electromagnetic applications, includes: a monolithic body of Dk material having a plurality of linear elongated ribs disposed parallel with each other; wherein each rib of the plurality of linear elongated ribs has a cross section x-z profile relative to an orthogonal X-Y-Z coordinate system; wherein the Y-direction of the coordinate system is oriented in a direction of elongation of the plurality of linear elongated ribs; wherein the Z-direction of the coordinate system is oriented in a direction of propagation of an EM wave through the uniformly spaced apart plurality of linear elongated ribs; wherein the monolithic body has an overall thickness dimension, T, aligned in the Z-direction, that extends from a first side to a second side of the body; wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of linear elongated ribs are monolithically connected to each other by a plurality of connecting bridges.

The present invention provides a retardation substrate which less dissolves a retardation layer, shows good depolarization performance, and has a high voltage holding ratio when used for a liquid crystal element, and a liquid crystal element and a liquid crystal module which include the retardation substrate. The retardation substrate includes: a base material; a retardation layer provided on one surface of the base material; a dielectric layer provided on a surface, opposite to the base material, of the retardation layer; and an alignment film which is provided on a surface, opposite to the retardation layer, of the dielectric layer and subjected to a liquid crystal alignment treatment.

A polarizing plate including a polarizer, and a protective film layer formed on at least one surface of the polarizer, wherein the protective film layer is formed of a protective resin having a volatile component content of 0.03% by weight or less, and a thickness d of the protective film layer satisfies the formula (1): 0.01 md0.5 m (1).