One embodiment of the invention provides a pattern generation device includes a light source, a first HPDLC cell, and a second HPDLC cell. The first HPDLC cell is disposed downstream of a light path of the light source and contains a first phase modulation pattern. The second HPDLC cell is disposed downstream of the light path of the first HPDLC cell and contains a diffraction grating pattern.

A diffractive optical element includes: a first facet configured to perform an expansion optical function; and a second facet configured to perform a collimation optical function and a pattern generation function.

An image generation device having: a spatial light modulator; a source of light; a beam deflector; an illumination waveguide and an image transport waveguide, each waveguide containing at least one switchable grating; and a coupler for directing scanned light into a first set of TIR paths in said illumination waveguide. A switchable grating in the illumination waveguide diffracts light onto the SLM, a switchable grating in the image transport waveguide diffracting image-modulated from the SLM into a waveguide path.

A diffractive optical beam shaping element for imposing a phase distribution on a laser beam that is intended for laser processing of a material includes a phase mask that is shaped as an area and is configured for imposing a plurality of beam shaping phase distributions on the laser beam incident on to the phase mask. A virtual optical image is attributed to at least one of the plurality of beam shaping phase distributions, wherein the virtual image can be imaged into an elongated focus zone for creating a modification in the material to be processed. Multiple such elongated focus zones can spatially add up and interfere with each other, to modify an intensity distribution in the material and, for example, generate an asymmetric modification zone.

A coherent backlight unit and a 3D image display device including the coherent backlight unit are provided. The coherent backlight unit includes a light source, a light guide plate, a first diffraction grating, a second diffraction grating, and a reflective optical element. The light source irradiates a coherent light and the reflective optical element reflects the coherent light that is propagating toward one of the side surfaces from the inner side of the light guide plate toward the inner side of the light guide plate.

A method and system for generating light pattern. The system may include: a light source providing a diverging light beam; a single lens element having first surface with a positive optical power in at least one cross section and a second surface. The second surface is configured to provide a multiplication function of the light beam in that cross section and a predefined intensity light distribution generator in a second cross section.

An illumination apparatus is disclosed, which includes a light source configured to generate light for an illumination area to be illuminated, and a diffraction grating element provided between the illumination area and the light source, and including a plurality of diffraction gratings arranged in a two dimensional array. A distribution of grating intervals of the diffraction gratings in the diffraction grating element has a characteristic such that a center region, along a predetermined line in a plane of the two dimensional array, has a greater grating interval than an end region.

Apparatus for structured light scanning, the structured light comprising one or more projected lines or other patterns, comprises at least two independent emitters for each projected line or pattern, typically arranged in a row, and a pattern generator for causing light from respective emitters of a given row to overlap along the pattern axis to form the projected pattern. The independent emitters provide incoherent light along the pattern so that speckle noise is minimized despite the overlapping.

Provided are a mask inspection apparatus and a mask inspection method that can prevent a reduction in a reflectance of a drop-in mirror, which is caused by carbon contaminants. A mask inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a drop-in mirror including multi-layer film and a reflective surface. The drop-in mirror is configured to reflect illumination light incident on the reflective surface and illuminate the mask. An area of the reflective surface is configured to be greater than an area of an illuminated spot irradiated with the illumination light on the reflective surface. The drop-in mirror is configured to be movable. A position of the illuminated spot on the reflective surface is configured to be moved when the drop-in mirror is moved.

A multi-zone backlight and multi-zone multiview display with multiple zones selectively provide broad-angle emitted light corresponding to a two-dimensional (2D) image and directional emitted light corresponding to a multiview image to each zone of the multiple zones. The multi-zone backlight includes broad-angle backlight to provide the broad-angle emitted light and a multiview backlight to provide the directional emitted light. Each of the broad-angle backlight and the multiview backlight is divided into a first zone and a second zone that may be independently activated to provide the broad-angle emitted light and multiview emitted light, respectively. The multi-zone multiview display includes the broad-angle backlight and the multiview backlight and further includes an array of light valves configured to modulate the broad-angle emitted light as a two-dimensional image and the directional emitted light as a multiview image on a zone-by-zone basis.