An optical substrate has a structured surface that enhances brightness and reduces moire effect. The optical substrate has a three-dimensionally varying, structured light output surface that comprises an irregular prismatic structure. The irregular prismatic structure may be viewed as comprising longitudinal prism blocks or rows thereof, arranged laterally defining peaks and valleys. Adjacent peaks, adjacent valleys, and/or adjacent peak and valley may be parallel or non-parallel, in an orderly, semi-orderly, random, or quasi-random manner. The lateral adjacent peaks, adjacent valleys, and/or adjacent peak and valley are not parallel. The adjacent irregular prism blocks may be irregular longitudinal sections having the same length, or random or quasi-random irregular sections having different lengths. The facets of each prism block may be flat, or curved (convexly and/or concavely).

Disclosed herein is a scanning ladar transmitter that employs an optical field splitter/inverter to improve the gaze characteristics of the ladar transmitter on desirable portions of a scan area. Also disclosed is the use of scan patterns such as Lissajous scan patterns for a scanning ladar transmitter where a phase drift is induced into the scanning to improve the gaze characteristics of the ladar transmitter on desirable portions of the scan area. Also disclosed is a compact beam scanner assembly that includes an ellipsoidal reimaging mirror.

A laser array comprises first and second laser unit to respectively emit a first and second laser beams that propagate in a first and second directions and that are polarized in first and second polarization directions and a polarization coupling prism arranged to couple the two laser beams. The coupling prism comprises: a light entry surface to receive the first laser beam; a reflecting surface to reflect the first laser beam at an angle greater than the limit angle of total inner reflection; and a light exit surface through which the first laser beam exits the prism. The second laser unit is arranged relative to the polarization coupling prism to cause the second laser beam to impinge on and be reflected at the light exit surface in the same direction as the first laser beam exiting the prism, resulting in a collinear superposition of the first and second laser beams.

An illumination apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a light modulation element; a plurality of light source units each including a fluorescent member, at least one light source, and a light-guiding optical system; and an optical-path combining system. A predetermined region in an area where light source images are formed by the illumination optical system using light beams from the optical-path combining system is defined as an effective region, and the number of the light source units is denoted by N. In this case, the light source images and N subregions obtained by dividing the effective region by N along a first side direction of the effective region or a second side direction orthogonal to the first side direction satisfy a predetermined relation.

An optically variable areal pattern has a reflection layer and a micromirror arrangement comprising a plurality of semitransparent micromirrors developed on the reflection layer. The micromirrors are inclined with respect to the reflection layer, such that, by specular reflection, light incident on the micromirror arrangement is reflected on the semitransparent micromirrors. The incident light is reflected partly in a first direction and partly in a second direction that is different from the first direction, in that it passes through the semitransparent micromirrors, impinges on the reflection layer, and is reflected there and, thereafter, again passes through the semitransparent micromirrors.

A surgical microscope employs a pentaprism beam splitter as a branching unit to branch each beam passed through variable power optical systems into a first beam and a second beam, the first beam being horizontally reflected for an eyepiece unit, the second beam being vertically transmitted for an imaging device. The pentaprism alone is capable of simultaneously conducting reflection to provide an erect image and transmission to provide a photographing image, thereby reducing the number of optical parts in a microscope body of the surgical microscope.

A projector includes an illumination system, a biaxially-tilted digital micromirror device (DMD), a first prism, a second prism and a lens. The illumination system provides an incident light. The biaxially-tilted DMD having two opposite first long sides and two opposite first short sides receives the incident light and converts the incident light into an image light. The first prism is disposed between the illumination system and the DMD, and includes a first face and a second face connected and adjacent to the first face. The second prism is disposed between the first prism and the DMD and includes a third face, a fourth face and a fifth face; and the third face is connected and adjacent to the fourth face and fifth face. The fourth face has two opposite second long sides and two opposite second short sides. The lens receives and projects the image light.

A phase converting device capable of use over a broad wavelength range, which may be used for optical beam transformations and combining, conversion of resonator and waveguide modes, correction of aberrations in optical systems, and selection of photons with specific phase profile. This provides significant advantages in high power laser systems. Large-mode-area fibers can be used to provide higher incident powers than can be achieved by single-mode fibers, reducing the number of elements in a system necessary to achieve the desired output. The profiles of these LMA fiber modes can then be converted from the undesired modes into the desired mode while combing their total power into a single beam.

The present invention relates to an optical device usable in a head-mounted display which comprises a light conducting element and at least one wafer, and to a head-mounted device which is configured to provide an informative display of augmented reality for a wearer of the head-mounted device and which comprises such an optical device. This optical device (1) comprises: a light conducting element (4) which has two first and second opposite main faces (4a and 4b) and which inputs and conducts by total internal reflections a light (6) received from the light source (5) and partially outputs it out of said element, at least one wafer (2, 3) which comprises an internal surface (2a, 3a) facing a said first main face of said light conducting element, and interposition means in contact with said first main face and said internal surface and defining a gap (11a, 11b) optically isolating said element. According to the invention, said interposition means comprise a peripheral sealing arrangement (10a, 10b) which extends along its peripheral length between and in sealing contact with a peripheral area (2aa, 3aa) of said internal surface and a facing zone (4aa, 4ba) of said first main face, at least one portion of said sealing arrangement exhibiting a locally reduced optical coupling with said first main face to preserve said internal reflections at said at least one portion toward the inside of said element.

A total inner reflection (TIR) prism comprises two essentially triangular prisms separated by an optical coating or by a thin layer of air, wherein one of said two triangular prisms is shaped as an isosceles triangle.