Systems and methods for scattering or deviating a laser beam are provided. A system utilizing a lenticular sheet and a laser source projecting a laser beam onto the lenticular sheet produces shapes such as laser cones. Minor adjustments of the laser source with respect to the lenticular sheet may vary the size and shape of the laser cone that provides for improved Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) systems. A diffraction grating added in the path of the laser beam causes a laser pattern of a matrix of lines to be produced which also provides for improved. Interference between multiple lenticular sheets may be used to deviate a laser beam to protect military assets from laser-guided projectiles and/or laser acquisition.

Imaging apparatus includes an illumination assembly, including a plurality of radiation sources and projection optics, which are configured to project radiation from the radiation sources onto different, respective regions of a scene. An imaging assembly includes an image sensor and objective optics configured to form an optical image of the scene on the image sensor, which includes an array of sensor elements arranged in multiple groups, which are triggered by a rolling shutter to capture the radiation from the scene in successive, respective exposure periods from different, respective areas of the scene so as to form an electronic image of the scene. A controller is coupled to actuate the radiation sources sequentially in a pulsed mode so that the illumination assembly illuminates the different, respective areas of the scene in synchronization with the rolling shutter.

A processing optical unit for workpiece processing includes a birefringent polarizer configured to split at least one input laser beam into a pair of partial beams polarized perpendicularly to one another. The processing optical unit further includes a focusing optical unit arranged downstream of the birefringent polarizer in the beam path and configured to focus the pair of partial beams onto focus zones in a focal plane. The processing optical unit is configured to produce at least partly overlapping focus zones of the pair of partial beams.

A spatial frequency filter device is for use with a laser beam. The device includes: a neutral region, which is configured to transmit or reflect the laser beam; and a deflecting region, which radially adjoins the neutral region and is configured to deflect beam components of the laser beam from a beam axis of the laser beam. The deflecting region has a constant portion, in which a deflecting effect on the beam components of the laser beam for each location in the constant portion is configured to be independent of a distance of a location from the neutral region. the deflecting region has a variation portion, in which the deflecting effect on the beam components of the laser beam is configured to vary, dependent on a distance from the neutral region.

Methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. In one example, a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) device includes a surface bearing an anti-reflection structure. The anti-reflection structure includes i) a physical surface having a topography with features having lateral dimensions of less than 2000 nm and having an average refraction index which decreases with distance away from the surface; and ii) a configuration of the topography, averaged over lateral dimensions of greater than 2000 nm, varies with lateral position on the surface.

The subject invention includes a semiconductor laser with the laser having a DBR mirror on a substrate, a quantum well on the DBR mirror, and an interior CGH with a back propagated output for emitting a large sized Gaussian and encircling high energy. The DBR mirror has a plurality of GaAs/AlGaAs layers, while the quantum well is composed of AlGaAs/InGaAs. The CGH is composed of AlGaAs.

A phase distribution is calculated such that modulated light has a predetermined intensity distribution on a target plane and displayed on a phase modulation plane, readout light enters the phase modulation plane so as to generate the modulated light. When calculating the phase distribution, a region on the phase modulation plane is divided into N regions A.sub.1 . . . A.sub.N, with sizes set such that integration values of an intensity distribution in the regions are equal to each other. Further, a region on the target plane is divided into N regions B.sub.1 . . . B.sub.N, with sizes set such that integration values of an intensity distribution in the regions are equal to each other. The phase distribution is calculated by obtaining an optical path length from the region A.sub.n to the region B.sub.n, and determining the phase of the region A.sub.n based on the optical path length.

A laser device may include a chamber accommodating a pair of discharge electrodes, a grating provided outside the chamber, first beam-expanding optics provided between the chamber and the grating and configured to expand a beam width of light outputted from the chamber at least in a first direction perpendicular to a direction of discharge between the pair of discharge electrodes, and second beam-expanding optics having a plurality of prisms provided between the chamber and the grating, the second beam-expanding optics being configured to expand a beam width of light outputted from the chamber at least in a second direction parallel to the direction of discharge between the pair of discharge electrodes.

Apparatus and methods for coupling an optical beam from an optical source to a hi-tech system are described. A compact, low-cost beam-shaping and steering assembly may be located between the optical source and hi-tech system and provide automated adjustments to beam parameters such as beam position, beam rotation, and beam incident angles. The beam-shaping and steering assembly may be used to couple an elongated beam to a plurality of optical waveguides.

Embodiments are directed to an apparatus for creating a scene comprising: a plurality of micro-mirrors configured to rotate between an off position and at least two on positions to generate a plurality of holograms, and a processor configured to select positions for the micro-mirrors based on an input specification of the scene.