The invention is notably directed to a transflective display device. The device comprises a set of pixels, wherein each of the pixels comprises a portion of bi-stable, phase change material, hereafter a PCM portion, having at least two reversibly switchable states, in which it has two different values of refractive index and/or optical absorption. The device further comprises one or more spacers, optically transmissive, and extending under PCM portions of the set of pixels. One or more reflectors extend under the one or more spacers. An energization structure is in thermal or electrical communication with the PCM portions, via the one or more spacers. Moreover, a display controller is configured to selectively energize, via the energization structure, PCM portions of the pixels, so as to reversibly switch a state of a PCM portion of any of the pixels from one of its reversibly switchable states to the other. A backlight unit is furthermore configured, in the device, to allow illumination of the PCM portions through the one or more spacers. The backlight unit is controlled by a backlight unit controller, which is configured for modulating one or more physical properties of light emitted from the backlight unit. The invention is further directed to related devices and methods of operation.

An apparatus comprises a first mirror; a second mirror; a modulation layer positioned between the first mirror and the second mirror and comprising a plurality of modulation regions; a diffraction layer positioned between the modulation layer and the second mirror, and an input port admitting a light beam into the apparatus. The light beam passes through the diffraction layer and is modulated by the modulation layer to create a first modulated beam before being reflected by the first mirror, the first mirror reflecting the first modulated beam toward the second mirror, the second mirror reflecting the first modulated beam toward the modulation layer to be modulated for at least a second time.

Structures including an edge coupler and methods of fabricating a structure including an edge coupler. The edge coupler includes a waveguide core having an end surface that terminates proximate to an edge of a substrate. The waveguide core contains a material having a first state with a first refractive index in response to an applied stimulus and a second state with a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.

Structures for an optical power modulator and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical power modulator. A waveguide core includes a longitudinal axis, a first section, and a second section spaced from the first section along the longitudinal axis. An active layer includes a portion positioned along the longitudinal axis between the first section and the second section of the waveguide core. The active layer contains a material configured to have a first state with a first refractive index in response to an applied stimulus and a second state with a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.

An acousto-optic system may include a laser source, and an AOM coupled to the laser source and having an acousto-optic medium and transducer electrodes carried by the medium. The acousto-optic system may also include an interface board with a dielectric layer and signal contacts carried by the dielectric layer, and connections coupling respective signal contacts with respective transducer electrodes. Each connection may include a dielectric protrusion extending from the AOM, and an electrically conductive layer on the dielectric protrusion for coupling a respective transducer electrode to a respective signal contact.

The present invention relates to a display device, comprising: a first substrate comprising a first inner surface, a first outer surface opposite to the first inner surface, a display region, a bonding region adjacent to the display region, a plurality of thin film transistors disposed on the first inner surface and corresponding to the display region; a second substrate opposite to the display region and comprising a second inner surface, a second outer surface opposite to the second inner surface, a first color resist and a second color resist each disposed on the second inner surface; a display molecular layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; an electrical shielding layer disposed on the first outer surface of the first substrate, wherein the electrical shielding layer comprises a first shielding region corresponding to the first color resist and a second shielding region corresponding to the bonding region.

A system and method are provided for forming body structures including energy filters/shutter components, including energy/light directing/scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The filters or components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers, including electric fields generated between a pair of transparent electrodes sandwiching an energy scattering layer. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields.

An apparatus includes an elastically deformable optical element holder situated to receive an optical element having a plurality of holder contact surfaces, the optical element holder including a plurality of receiving portions adjacent to an aperture and corresponding to respective holder contact surfaces, each receiving portion displaceable through deformation of the optical element holder so that the optical element is insertable in the aperture so as to be cushionably supported in a predetermined position with the receiving portions in contact with the respective holder contact surfaces.

The present invention provides a film comprising: a substrate; and a first coating layer on the substrate, wherein the film has, from a reflectance graph obtained by measuring the reflectance in a 380 nm to 780 nm wavelength region, a reflectance oscillation ratio (O.sub.r) of 1.0 or less and a reflectance graph slope (G.sub.r) of 0.122 or less, and has improved interference fringes.

A cosmetic container, such as a compact, that comprises a lid hingedly connected to a base, and a lighting circuit. Some embodiments of the invention comprises a one-way mirror, while others comprise a variable transparency film. Preferred embodiments, however, comprise both a one-way mirror and a variable transparency film that work cooperatively to provide a lid that is see through when viewed from the outside, and reflective when viewed from the inside.