An apparatus and method for providing pixelated occlusion is disclosed. The apparatus includes a display, a unitary and transmissive optical component, and a contact lens. The display provides a display image. The unitary reflective and transmissive optical component receives the display image and forms a reflected display image having a first polarization and receives a scene image and forms a transmitted scene image. The contact lens forms a combined image including the reflected display image and the transmitted scene image. The pixelated display includes one or more occluding pixels having a second polarization with the first polarization substantially orthogonal to the second polarization. The pixelated display is included anterior to the unitary and reflective optical component.

A method of manufacturing a metal wire, a method of manufacturing a metal wire grid, a wire grid polarizer, and an electronic device are provided. The method of manufacturing a metal wire includes: forming a metal material layer on a base substrate; etching the metal material layer by using a composite gas including an etching gas and a coating reaction gas to form the metal wire and a protective coating layer on a surface of the metal wire.

A curing system for an additive fabrication system includes a light source, a liquid crystal cell, and a first polarizer. The light source is configured to emit light at a wavelength suitable for curing a material. The liquid crystal cell is configured to receive the light from the light source. The first polarizer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix and organic dyes impregnated into the PVA matrix.

A switchable polarizer includes a transparent layer and switchable material layer. The switchable material layer includes strips of a switchable material that are arranged to polarize incident light propagating through the transparent layer when the switchable material is heated to a threshold switching temperature. The incident light propagating through the transparent layer is unpolarized by the strips of the switchable material when the switchable material is below the threshold switching temperature.

The invention provides a wire grid polarizer and a manufacturing method thereof. The method comprising steps of providing a substrate, forming a conductive layer on the substrate, forming an inverted wire grid structure on the conductive layer by nano-imprint or lithography process, and depositing a metal on the inverted wire grid structure to form a wire grid structure by electroforming or electrodeless coating technology. The conductive layer is transparent to the light wave band of the application. Since the method is an additive process, nano-imprint electroplating, electroforming, or electrodeless coating technology can be used, and the steps are simplified compared with subtractive process. Thus, the invention reduces or eliminates the need for expensive lithography technology, and avoids the use of complicated dry etching process.

An aerial image projector includes a first reflective element, a second reflective element, a first optical element, a display device, and a second optical element. The first reflective element transmits, in a second direction, a part of first image light traveling in a first direction and reflects, in a third direction, a part of second image light traveling in the second direction. The second reflective element retroreflects the first image light transmitted through the first reflective element as the second image light. The first optical element is between the first reflective element and the second reflective element. The first optical element collects the first image light and collects the second image light. The display device emits the first image light. The second optical element divides a beam of the first image light emitted from the display device into at least two light beams.

A sensing device includes a sensor, a reflective polarizer disposed on the sensor, a dye-doped polymeric layer disposed on the reflective polarizer, and a patterned liquid crystal polymer layer disposed on the dye-doped polymeric layer.

In an imaging element including a polarizer, accuracy of obtained polarization information is improved. The imaging element includes a polarizer and a photoelectric conversion element, from the incident light side. A plurality of types of polarizing members is arranged on the polarizer. The plurality of types of polarizing members is polarizing members having the same internal structures, and is formed as the plurality of types of polarizing members by rotationally moving or symmetrically moving one of the polarizing members. The photoelectric conversion element converts light incident through each of the plurality of types of polarizing members into electric charges.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polarizer, a method of producing a polarizer, a laminate, and an image display device which enable achievement of both the degree of alignment and heat resistance. The polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer formed of a polarizer-forming composition which contains a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the liquid crystal compound has a smectic liquid crystallinity, and a phase transition temperature of the polarizer-forming composition from a smectic phase to an isotropic phase or a nematic phase is 120° C. or higher.

A polarizing element has a wire grid structure, and includes a transparent substrate, and projections, which are arrayed on the main surface of the substrate at a pitch p40 that is narrower than the wavelength of the light in the used light region, and extend along the Y-direction. The projections have a laminated structure in which two or more sets of a dielectric layer and a conductive layer are laminated alternately along the Z-direction. The conductive layers include a first conductive layer having absorption properties relative to the light in the used light region and a second conductive layer having reflective properties relative to the light in the used light region. The first conductive layer is provided as the conductive layer closest to the incident side of the light.