Certain patternable reflective films are used as masks to make other patterned articles, and one or more initial masks can be used to pattern the patternable reflective films. An exemplary patternable reflective film has an absorption characteristic suitable to, upon exposure to a radiant beam, absorptively heat a portion of the film by an amount sufficient to change a first reflective characteristic to a different second reflective characteristic. The change from the first to the second reflective characteristic is attributable to a change in birefringence of one or more layers or materials of the patternable film. In a related article, a mask is attached to such a patternable reflective film. The mask may have opaque portions and light-transmissive portions. Further, the mask may have light-transmissive portions with structures such as focusing elements and/or prismatic elements.

Intelligent control of solar transmission through windows promises to reduce energy consumption for thermal comfort in buildings. However, the ability of current smart windows to regulate solar gain based on tunable extinction of phase-change materials is not optimum. A thin-film thermochromic device based on tunable light scattering of hydrogel microparticles of prescribed diameters is reported. In the study, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-2-Aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride (pNIPAm-AEMA) microparticles are synthesized, with low phase transition temperature ˜32° C. Notably, the average size of pNIPAm-AEMA particles can vary from 1388 nm at 25° C. to 546 nm at 35° C., leading to unprecedented infrared transmittance modulation of 75.6%, in agreement with the numerical simulation based on Mie theory. A high luminous transmittance of 87.2% is accomplished. The pNIPAm-AEMA device demonstrates tunable scattering with excellent stability and scalability, which may find application in a broader field of light management beyond energy-saving smart windows.

The present invention belongs to the field of integrated optical waveguide modulation, and specifically, relates to an ultra-close-range metallic heater thermo-optic phase shifter, which includes: a substrate, and a metallic heater and an optical waveguide respectively arranged on the substrate; in which the metallic heater and the optical waveguide are arranged at a close distance, and the distance is less than 600 nm. The material of the metallic heater is titanium, titanium nitride, aluminum, gold, and/or a metal with a larger imaginary part of the refractive index. The present invention includes two solutions: side heating and top surface heating. In the side heating solution, the heater is placed close to a side of the waveguide in parallel, and heat is conducted to the optical waveguide through the substrate to achieve thermo-optic phase shift; while in the top surface heating solution, an auxiliary waveguide is placed on a side of the optical waveguide, and the heater is placed above the auxiliary waveguide; heat is conducted to the optical waveguide through a top silicon oxide layer to achieve thermo-optic phase shift. The present invention utilizes the principle of parity-time symmetry, greatly shortens the distance between the heaters and the waveguide, realizes low-loss and high-rate thermo- optic modulation. In addition, it is compatible with the CMOS process, and is a standard process.

An optical device may include at least one optical fiber, and a phase change material (PCM) layer on the at least one optical fiber. The PCM layer may include Ge.sub.xSe.sub.y, where x is in a range of 20-40, and y is in a range of 60-80.

Implantable corneal and intraocular implants such as a mask are provided. The mask can improve the vision of a patient, such as by being configured to increase the depth of focus of an eye of a patient. The mask can include an aperture configured to transmit along an optical axis substantially all visible incident light. The mask can further include a transition portion that surrounds at least a portion of the aperture. This portion can be configured to switch from one level of opacity to another level of opacity through the use of a controllably variable absorbance feature such as a switchable photochromic chromophore within a polymer matrix.

An optical device (100) for forming a distribution of a three-dimensional light field comprises: an array (102) of unit cells (104), a unit cell (104) being individually addressable for switching the optical property of the unit cell (104) between a first and a second condition; wherein the unit cells (104) are configured to be selectively active or inactive and wherein the array (102) comprises at least a first and a second disjoint subset (110; 112; 114; 116), and wherein the unit cells (104) in a subset (110; 112; 114; 116) are configured to be jointly switched from inactive to active, wherein the active unit cells (104) are configured to interact with an incident light beam (106) for forming the distribution of the three-dimensional light field; and wherein the optical device (100) is configured to address inactive unit cells (104) for switching the optical property of unit cells (104).

Provided herein is a phase change material for use in a display device. Also provided is a display device comprising a phase change material; the use of a phase change material as an optical absorber in a display device; a method of fabricating a pixel; and a method of fabricating a display device. The phase change material is as described in more detail herein.

Diffractive optical structures, lenses, waveplates, devices, systems and methods, which have the same effect on light regardless of temperature within an operating temperature range. Temperature-compensated switchable diffractive waveplate systems, in which the diffraction efficiency can be maximized for the operating wavelength and temperature by means of adjustment of the electric potential across the liquid crystal or other anisotropic material in the diffracting state of the diffractive state, based on prior measurements of diffraction efficiency as a function of wavelength and temperature. The switchable diffractive waveplates can be a switchable diffractive waveplate diffuser, a switchable cycloidal diffractive waveplate, and a switchable diffractive waveplate lens. An electronic controller can apply an electric potential to the switchable diffractive waveplate. Amplitudes of the electric potential can be determined from lookup tables such that diffraction efficiency at an operating wavelength and measured temperature is maximized. A communications channel can transfer the measured temperature from temperature measurement means to the electronic controller.

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras and an ECU. The cameras are in communication with one another via a vehicle network and image data captured by the cameras is provided to the ECU. Responsive to a type of driving maneuver of the vehicle, (i) the ECU generates a first control signal that enables automatic control of exposure, gain and white balance of one camera of the plurality of cameras and (ii) the ECU generates respective second control signals that disable automatic control of exposure, gain and white balance of at least one other camera of the plurality of cameras. Responsive to processing of captured image data, composite video images derived from image data captured by the plurality of cameras are synthesized, and composite images are displayed that provides bird's eye view video images derived from video image data captured by the cameras.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method of energy storage and release based on crystallization-dissolution comprising heating a solute-solvent system to decrease a solubility of a solute in the solvent and induce crystal formation; cooling a solute-solvent system to increase the solubility of the solute in the solvent and induce crystal dissolution; wherein energy is stored in the crystal upon heating and released from the crystal upon cooling.