A method for processing a workpiece using a pulsed laser beam includes beam shaping of the laser beam to form an elongated focus zone in the material of the workpiece. The beam shaping is carried out by using an arrangement of diffractive, reflective and/or refractive optical assemblies. The beam shaping includes focus-forming beam shaping to cause beam portions to enter at an entry angle to a beam axis of the laser beam for forming the elongated focus zone along the beam axis in the workpiece by way of interference, and phase-correcting beam shaping to counteract any influence of the interference by entrance of the laser beam into the workpiece. The method further includes setting beam parameters of the laser beam so that the material of the workpiece is modified in the elongated focus zone.

An image processing apparatus includes at least one processor, and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations as a first acquiring unit, a second acquiring unit, a setting unit, and a third acquiring unit. The first acquiring unit is configured to acquire a first image generated by imaging an object via a polarizing element configured to transmit lights having a plurality of polarization azimuths different from each other. The second acquiring unit is configured to acquire information on an imaging condition in the imaging. The setting unit is configured to set information on a polarization azimuth in the first image according to the information on the imaging condition. The third acquiring unit is configured to acquire polarization information from the first image using the information on the polarization azimuth.

Methods and systems of correcting chromatic focal shift may include measuring a chromatic focal shift in focal points of a lens between first and second wavelengths of light passing through the lens. They also include detecting the first wavelength of light from a sample spaced at a first distance between the sample and the lens that corresponds to a first focal point for the first wavelength of light. They further include adjusting the sample and the lens to a second distance with a piezoelectric actuator. The second distance may be determined using the measurement of the chromatic focal shift between the first and second wavelengths of light passing through the lens. They additionally include detecting a second wavelength of light from the sample spaced at the second distance between the sample and the lens, where the second distance corresponds to a second focal point for the second wavelength of light.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided, including a fixed part, a movable part and a driving assembly. The fixed part has a main axis, includes an outer frame and a base. The outer frame has a top surface and a sidewall. The top surface intersects the main axis. The sidewall extends from the edge of the top surface along the main axis. The base includes a base plate intersecting the main axis and securely connected to the outer frame. The movable part moves relative to the fixed part, and connects to an optical element having an optical axis. The driving assembly drives the movable part to move relative to the fixed part. The main axis is not parallel to the optical axis.

Beam deflection units in light-scanning microscopes are usually arranged in planes that are conjugate to the objective pupil. The scan optics, which is required for generating the conjugate pupil planes, is complicated and not very light efficient. The invention is intended to enable a higher image quality, simpler adjustment and a lower light loss microscope.

The optical system comprises a concave mirror (36) for imaging a respective point of the first and second beam deflection units (30A, 30B) onto one another. The concave mirror (36), the first beam deflection unit (30A), and the second beam deflection unit (30B) are arranged such that the illumination beam path is reflected exactly once at the concave mirror (36). A first distortion caused by the concave mirror (36) and a second distortion of the imaging caused by the first and second beam deflection units (30A, 30B) at least partly compensate for one another.

A method for producing an optical element includes: providing a substrate (102), applying a layer system (103), wherein an optically effective surface (101) is formed and wherein the layer system has a layer (104) that is thermally deformable for manipulating the geometric shape of the optically effective surface, and applying a temperature field to the optical element while at least regionally heating the thermally deformable layer to above a specified operating temperature of the optical system. The thermally deformable layer is configured such that a deformation that is induced when the temperature field is applied is at least partially maintained after the optical element has cooled. Also disclosed is an optical element (400) that has an optically effective surface (401), a substrate (402), and a layer system (403) that has a reflection layer system (406), which includes a shape-memory alloy.

A variable focal length (VFL) imaging system comprises a camera system, a first high speed variable focal length (VFL) lens, a second high speed variable focal length (VFL) lens, a first relay lens comprising a first relay focal length, a second relay lens comprising a second relay focal length, and a lens controller. The first relay lens and the second relay lens are spaced relative to one another along an optical axis of the VFL imaging system by a distance which is equal to a sum of the first relay focal length and the second relay focal length. The first high speed VFL lens and the second high speed VFL lens are spaced relative to one another along the optical axis on opposite sides of an intermediate plane which is located at a distance equal to the first relay focal length from the first relay lens. The lens controller is configured to provide synchronized periodic modulation of the optical power of the first high speed VFL lens and the optical power of the second high speed VFL lens.

A lens for a still or film camera includes a first and second lens-element arrangement, and a wavefront manipulator. The first and second lens-element arrangement are arranged spaced mutually apart along an optical axis of the lens such that an interstice is present therebetween. The wavefront manipulator is situated in the interstice and includes at least two optical components which are arranged so as to be displaceable counter to one another, perpendicular to the optical axis, and which each include a free-form surface. The wavefront manipulator has a zero position, in which the optical components thereof do not cause any image aberrations in the imaging properties of the lens, and effective positions, in which the optical components are displaced counter to one another, out of the zero position perpendicular to the optical axis, and in which the optical components cause a spherical aberration in the imaging properties of the lens.

An image generating section reads image data from an image storing section to generate an original image in keeping with the attitude of a head-mounted display. A lens distortion correcting section generates a primary image by correcting beforehand the original image in a manner canceling out the distortion thereof that appears when viewed through lenses of the head-mounted display. A different image embedding section generates an embedded image by embedding a different image into an unused area of a rectangular format for transmitting the primary image. An HDMI transmitting section transfers the embedded image to the head-mounted display.

An optical compensation element adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an inclination of an optical compensation element with high accuracy and a projector. The mechanism includes an optical compensation element which optically compensates a liquid crystal panel and an adjusting frame which adjusts an angle of the element to the liquid crystal panel. The adjusting frame includes an approximately rectangular holding portion which holds the optical compensation element, a pair of fixing portions which respectively extends from positions, which become a diagonal, of the holding portion in a direction intersecting with the holding portion and which is respectively fixed to a first holding member to which the adjusting frame is attached, and an adjusting portion which is disposed at a position away from the pair of fixing portions and which inclines the optical compensation element by inclining the holding portion around a virtual line connecting the pair of fixing portions.