An illuminated assembly includes a substrate that is rigid so as to maintain a shape, the substrate having a first terminal surface and a second terminal surface. The assembly includes at least one channel defined into the substrate, the at least one channel having: an exposed portion defined on the first terminal surface of the substrate to define an indicia for display, a base portion defined between the first and second terminal surfaces of the substrate, and two channel walls extending from the exposed portion to the base portion. The assembly includes at least one light source between the exposed portion and the base portion of the at least one channel. The assembly includes a compound defined in an intermediate portion of the at least one channel, the intermediate portion extending from the at least one light source to the two channel walls, the exposed portion, and the base portion.

A polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display including the same are provided. A polarizing plate includes a polarizing film and a contrast-improving optical film sequentially stacked in the stated order. The contrast-improving optical film includes a contrast-improving layer including a first resin layer and a second resin layer facing the first resin layer. The second resin layer includes a patterned portion having optical patterns and a flat section between the optical patterns. The second resin layer satisfies Equation 1, and the polarizing plate has a contrast ratio gain of about 1.00 or more, as represented by Equation 2.

An optical film includes: a light-transmissive matrix having a plate shape; a plurality of first rods having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the light-transmissive matrix and disposed at a first inclination angle in the light-transmissive matrix; and a plurality of second rods having a refractive index different from the refractive index of the light-transmissive matrix and disposed at a second inclination angle in the light-transmissive matrix. The first inclination angle is different from the second inclination angle.

An opaque cover is provided for a capacitive sensor. The cover includes a transparent substrate, and at least one white coating layer including white pigments disposed over at least one portion of the transparent substrate. The cover also includes a non-conductive mirror structure disposed over the at least one white coating layer. The non-conductive mirror structure includes a number of first dielectric layers having a first refractive index interleaved with second dielectric layers having a second refractive index. The first and second dielectric layers have dielectric constants below a threshold.

A polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display including the same are provided. A polarizing plate includes a polarizing film and a contrast-improving optical film sequentially stacked in the stated order. The contrast-improving optical film includes a contrast-improving layer including a first resin layer and a second resin layer facing the first resin layer. The second resin layer includes a patterned portion having optical patterns and a flat section between the optical patterns. The second resin layer satisfies Equation 1, and the polarizing plate has a contrast ratio gain of about 1.00 or more, as represented by Equation 2.

Methods and devices to build and use multi-functional scattering structures. The disclosed methods and devices account for multiple target functions and can be implemented using fabrication methods based on two-photon polymerization or multi-layer lithography. Exemplary devices functioning as wave splitters are also described. Results confirming the performance and benefits of the disclosed teachings are also described.

A computer-implemented method for revising structural parameters of a physical device is provided. The method comprises configuring a simulated environment to be representative of the physical device based on an initial description that describes structural parameters of the physical device. The method further includes performing an operational simulation of the physical device based on training data representative of physical stimuli within a physical domain to simulate an interaction between the physical device and the physical stimuli. The method further includes computing a loss value based on a simulated output of the physical device and performing and adjoint simulation by backpropagating the loss value through the simulated environment. The method also includes generating a revised description of the physical device by updating the structural parameters to reduce the loss value.

A process for producing a transparent layered element exhibiting a diffuse reflection property, to this layered element as such and to the use thereof in a plurality of industrial applications. There is also provided a projection or back-projection method implementing such a layered element.

Curable compositions include at least one fluoropolymer, at least one monofunctional (meth)acrylate, at least one difunctional (meth)acrylate, and at least one initiator. The curable composition, when cured, forms an optically-scattering layer including a matrix and phase separated microdomains. The matrix and the phase separated microdomains have different refractive indices, and the microdomains are on the order of or larger than the wavelengths of visible light.

A stretchable transparency-adjusting film includes an inner elastic part having a three-dimensional network shape and including a first elastomer, an inorganic thin film surrounding the inner elastic part, and an outer elastic part surrounding the inorganic thin film and including a second elastomer. A scattering unit defined by the inner elastic part, the inorganic thin film and the outer elastic part in a cross-section is orientated in an inclined direction to a vertical direction and a horizontal direction.