Method for determining the characteristics of a system for generating at least one pattern of light, the method comprising: a) providing a desired pattern of light, b) expressing the amplitude and the phase of the output pulse of the system as a function of the input laser pulse and in function of the characteristics of the system to obtain a calculated output pulse, the input laser pulse having a duration below or equal to 1 nanosecond, c) determining at least one characteristic of the system by minimizing a distance between the calculated output pulse and the desired output laser pulse.

Method for determining the characteristics of a system for generating at least one pattern of light, the method comprising: a) providing a desired pattern of light, b) expressing the amplitude and the phase of the output pulse of the system as a function of the input laser pulse and in function of the characteristics of the system to obtain a calculated output pulse, the input laser pulse having a duration below or equal to 1 nanosecond, c) determining at least one characteristic of the system by minimizing a distance between the calculated output pulse and the desired output laser pulse.

An optical assembly includes a volume grating configured to influence a beam direction of at least one light beam, and a switching device arranged in a beam path upstream of the volume grating. The switching device is configured to switch the beam direction and/or beam position of the at least one light beam from a first beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam does not impinge on the volume grating at an acceptance angle of the volume grating, to a second beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam impinges on the volume grating at the acceptance angle, and/or vice versa.

An optical assembly includes a volume grating configured to influence a beam direction of at least one light beam, and a switching device arranged in a beam path upstream of the volume grating. The switching device is configured to switch the beam direction and/or beam position of the at least one light beam from a first beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam does not impinge on the volume grating at an acceptance angle of the volume grating, to a second beam direction and/or beam position, in which the at least one light beam impinges on the volume grating at the acceptance angle, and/or vice versa.

Optical scanning system, comprising an optical system for guiding a first and a second light beam, and deflector devices for deflecting first and second light beams in a directionally variable manner. The deflector devices comprise at least one acousto-optic deflector, and the optical system is arranged in such a way that the first and second light beams are counter-propagating through the acousto-optic deflector, which is controllable for deflecting the first and second light beams simultaneously or in pulse sequence. STED microscopy apparatus comprising an optical scanning system based on acousto-optic deflectors.

Optical scanning system, comprising an optical system for guiding a first and a second light beam, and deflector devices for deflecting first and second light beams in a directionally variable manner. The deflector devices comprise at least one acousto-optic deflector, and the optical system is arranged in such a way that the first and second light beams are counter-propagating through the acousto-optic deflector, which is controllable for deflecting the first and second light beams simultaneously or in pulse sequence. STED microscopy apparatus comprising an optical scanning system based on acousto-optic deflectors.

A variable focal length lens system includes a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens; a TAG lens controller; and processor(s) configured to: (a) operate the TAG lens controller to drive a periodic modulation of the TAG lens optical power at a TAG lens resonant frequency, using a first amplitude driving signal that provides a first focal Z range extending between peak focus distances Z1max+ and Z1max−; and expose a first image using a first exposure increment approximately at the timing of Z1max+ or Z1max−; (b) adjust the TAG lens controller to drive the periodic modulation using a second amplitude driving signal that provides a second focal Z range extending between peak focus distances Z2max+ and Z2max−; and expose a second image using a second exposure increment approximately at the timing of Z2max+ or Z2max−; and (c) perform processing that includes determining focus metric values for the first and second images.

A depth camera assembly for determining depth information for objects in a local area comprises a light generator, a camera and a controller. The light generator illuminates the local area with structured light in accordance with emission instructions from the controller. The light generator includes an illumination source, an acousto-optic deflector (AOD), and a liquid crystal device (LCD) with liquid crystal gratings (LCGs). The AOD functions as a dynamic diffraction grating that diffracts optical beams emitted from the illumination source to form diffracted scanning beams, based on emission instructions from the controller. Each LCG in the LCD is configured to further diffract light from the AOD to generate the structured light projected into the local area. The camera captures images of portions of the structured light reflected from objects in the local area. The controller determines depth information for the objects based on the captured images.

A depth camera assembly for determining depth information for objects in a local area comprises a light generator, a camera and a controller. The light generator illuminates the local area with structured light in accordance with emission instructions from the controller. The light generator includes an illumination source, an acousto-optic deflector (AOD), and a liquid crystal device (LCD) with liquid crystal gratings (LCGs). The AOD functions as a dynamic diffraction grating that diffracts optical beams emitted from the illumination source to form diffracted scanning beams, based on emission instructions from the controller. Each LCG in the LCD is configured to further diffract light from the AOD to generate the structured light projected into the local area. The camera captures images of portions of the structured light reflected from objects in the local area. The controller determines depth information for the objects based on the captured images.

The disclosed technology teaches a method of reducing the impact of cross-talk between transducers that drive an acousto-optic modulator. The method includes operating the transducers, which are mechanically coupled to an acousto-optic modulator medium, with different frequencies applied to adjoining transducers and producing a time-varying phase relationship between carriers on spatially adjoining modulation channels emanating from the adjoining transducers, with a frequency separation between carriers on the adjoining channels of 400 KHz to 20 MHz. The disclosed technology also includes operating 5 to 32 modulators, which are mechanically coupled to the acousto-optic modulator crystal, and varying the different frequencies applied to the modulators in a sawtooth pattern, varying the different frequencies over a range and then repeating variation over the range. Also included is varying the frequencies applied to the modulators in a rising or falling pattern applied progressively to the spatially adjoining transducers.