An adjustable support assembly for an object to be accurately positioned relative to a base, in particular for a secondary mirror of an optical mirror telescope, has at least one support structure connected to the base and to the object. The support structure has at least two struts extending in a non-parallel manner relative to each other, where each strut has associated therewith a drivable actuator element in such a way that the actuator element applies a force onto the strut that deflects the strut transversely to the longitudinal extension thereof. The support structure may be supported in an articulated manner relative to the base.

A daylighting device of the present invention is provided with a planar optical member 1 and a support member. The planar optical member 1 is provided with a planar structure body which has a plurality of linear bodies 3 formed of optically transparent materials which are arrayed substantially in parallel and a plurality of binding members which are arranged in a direction which intersects with the plurality of the linear bodies 3 and which bind the plurality of the linear bodies 3 in a state of being arrayed substantially in parallel. The linear bodies 3 have reflective surfaces which reflect light which is incident to the linear body 3 along a direction which intersects with a length direction of the linear body 3 and refractive surfaces which refract the light. In at least a part of a planar structure body, the orientations of reflective surfaces of at least some of the linear bodies out of the plurality of linear bodies 3 substantially match and the orientations of the refractive surfaces of at least some of the linear bodies substantially match.

An optical image generation system including: a spatial light modulator (SLM) configured to receive an input collimated laser beam and modulate the wavefront of the laser beam; one or more optical elements configured to project the modulated laser beam onto a focal plane; a first mirror and a second mirror situated at the focal plane, an edge of the first mirror being adjacent to an edge of the second mirror, the first mirror reflects a first portion of the modulated laser beam in a first direction, the second mirror reflects a second portion of the modulated laser beam in a second direction; and an objective lens projects the first and second portions into a combined image; wherein the zeroth order diffraction is block or suppressed at the center of the focal plane.

An arrangement of a microlithographic optical imaging device includes first and second supporting structures. The first supporting structure supports an optical element of the imaging device. The first supporting structure supports the second supporting structure via supporting spring devices of a vibration decoupling device. The supporting spring devices act kinematically parallel to one another between the first and second supporting structures. Each of the supporting spring devices defines a supporting force direction and a supporting length along the supporting force direction. The second supporting structure supports a measuring device which measures the position and/or orientation of the at least one optical element in relation to a reference in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom in space. A reduction device reduces a change in a static relative situation between the first and second supporting structures in at least one correction degree of freedom.

To improve alignment accuracy of an optical element. An alignment device includes an optical element, a base portion that holds the optical element and is supported in a state movable in an X-direction and a Y-direction intersecting with the X-direction, a mechanical driving unit driven by a pressure of a fluid, a member in contact with the base portion pushed by the mechanical driving unit, a stage portion that holds the member and is supported in a state movable in the Y-direction, the mechanical driving unit driven by a pressure of a fluid, and a member in contact with the stage portion pushed by the mechanical driving unit. The optical element has a position: adjusted by a balance between the pushing force by the mechanical driving unit and an elastomeric force in which at least one of the base portion and the member elastically deforms in the X-direction; and adjusted by a balance between the pushing force by the mechanical driving unit and an elastomeric force in which at least one of the stage portion and the member elastically deforms in the Y-direction.

An optical assembly is manufactured by combining a first optical component with a second optical component. The optical components each comprise respective optical surfaces and alignment structures. The first optical surface is aligned with respect to the second optical surface by a connection between the alignment structures and their predefined relative positions with respect to the optical surfaces. The relative positions are determined by a high-accuracy manufacturing process such as diamond turning wherein, for each optical component, a respective alignment structure is manufactured together with a respect optical surface from a single work piece.

A bipod flexure mount couples an optic to a base while isolating the optic from strain to resist wavefront error. The bipod flexure mount has a distal attachment pad to be coupled to the optic and a proximal attachment pad to be coupled to the base. A pair of beams extend between and couple the distal and proximal attachment pads. The distal attachment pad, the proximal attachment pad and the pair of beams are disposed in and define a planar layer with opposite planar surfaces that are substantially parallel. The bipod flexure mount is relatively flexible about four degrees of freedom and is relatively stiff about two degrees of freedom.

A reading device includes an emission unit that emits light; a first reflecting unit having a first reflecting surface that reflects the light emitted by the emission unit toward a document; a second reflecting unit having a second reflecting surface that reflects the light reflected by the first reflecting unit and specularly reflected by the document; a first support unit that supports the first reflecting unit and the second reflecting unit and fixes a relative position and a relative orientation between the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface; and a second support unit that supports the first support unit such that at least one of a position and an orientation of the first support unit is adjustable.

A method for aligning multiple optical components in an optical system including placing a sphere at a first position that is at a center of curvature of a first optical component, and aligning a focus of a first reference signal with the sphere at the first position. Then, moving the sphere along an axis of optical symmetry to a second position that is at a center of curvature of a second optical component, and aligning a focus of a second reference signal with the sphere at the second position. The first optical component is aligned with the first reference signal and fixing the first optical component, and the second optical component is aligned with the second reference signal and fixing the second optical component.

In one method, a display source aligned with an illumination prism assembly is displaced along a displacement axis to adjust the distance between the display source and a collimating prism assembly. The display source, the illumination prism assembly, and an illumination module are translationally moved in unison in a plane normal to the displacement axis. In another method, a component of an optical device is coupled to a mechanical assembly at a known orientation. The mechanical assembly has a test pattern at a known orientation. An image sensor is aligned with the test pattern, and the image sensor captures an image of the test pattern. The captured image is analyzed to determine an estimated orientation of the test pattern. An orientation parameter of the image sensor is adjusted based on a comparison between the known orientation of the test pattern and the estimated orientation of the test pattern.