A switchable optical assembly comprises a switchable waveplate configured to be electrically activated and deactivated to selectively alter the polarization state of light incident thereon. The switchable waveplate comprises first and second surfaces and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second surfaces. The first liquid crystal layer comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. Said first and second surfaces may be curved. Said plurality of liquid crystal molecules may vary in tilt with respect to said first and second surfaces with outward radial distance from an axis through said first and second surfaces and said liquid crystal layer in a plurality of radial directions. The switchable waveplate additionally comprises a first plurality of electrodes to apply an electrical signal across said first liquid crystal layer.

Improvements to gratings for use in waveguides and methods of producing them are described herein. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs and Bragg gratings, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. In one embodiment, deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated Bragg gratings (EBGs). EBGs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) grating. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured grating provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

An optical scan device includes an optical waveguide array, including a plurality of optical waveguides each of which propagates light along a first direction, that emits a light beam, the plurality of optical waveguides being arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction, a phase shifter array including a plurality of phase shifters connected separately to each of the plurality of optical waveguides, a control circuit that controls a phase shift amount of each of the plurality of phase shifters and/or inputting of light to each of the plurality of phase shifters and thereby controls a direction and shape of the light beam that is emitted from the optical waveguide array, a photodetector that detects the light beam reflected by a physical object, and a signal processing circuit that generates distance distribution data on the basis of output from the photodetector.

A surgical suturing tracking system is disclosed. The surgical suturing tracking system is configured to detect and guide a suturing needle during a surgical suturing procedure. The surgical suturing track system comprises a control circuit configured to predict a path of a needle suturing stroke after receiving an input from a clinician, detect an embedded tissue structure, and assess proximity of the predicted path and the detected embedded tissue structure.

A display switching device according to one or more embodiments may include a lens array including an array of a plurality of lenses and a display unit. Light from each of the plurality of light source positions transmits through a different position on the display unit and is focused by a corresponding lens. A transmittance on the display unit through which the light transmits differs depending on a position on the display unit. The transmittance at a position of a plurality of positions on the display unit is a transmittance of one of three or more types.

An optical device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of separation walls, one or more optical waveguides, and one or more spacers. The first substrate has a surface which extends in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction. The second substrate faces the first substrate. The plurality of separation walls are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and extend in the first direction. The one or more optical waveguides are positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and include one or more dielectric members which are positioned between the plurality of separation walls and which extend in the first direction. The one or more spacers are directly or indirectly sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate and positioned around the one or more optical waveguides.

The present disclosure provides a liquid crystal phase shifter array, a driving method thereof, and a laser scanner. The liquid crystal phase shifter array includes a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifter units arranged in array, a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first electrode provided on the first substrate, and a second electrode provided on the second substrate. Each liquid crystal phase shifter unit includes a first optical waveguide provided on a side of the first substrate proximal to the liquid crystal layer and arranged to be in direct contact with the liquid crystal layer.

A steerable laser transmitter and situational awareness sensor uses a liquid crystal waveguide (LCWG) to steer a spot-beam onto a conical mirror, which in turn redirects the spot-beam to scan a FOV. The spot-beam passes through one or more annular sections of non-linearly material (NLM) formed along the axis and around the conical mirror. Each NLM section converts the wavelength of the spot-beam to a different wavelength while preserving the steering of the spot-beam. The LCWG may shape or move the spot-beam along the axis of the conic mirror to sequentially, time or time and spatially multiplex the spot-beam between the original and different wavelengths. This provides multispectral capability from a single laser source. The transmitter also supports steering the spot-beam at a wavelength at which the LCWG cannot steer directly.

A ring amplifier amplifies one or more spot-beams that scan a circular pattern in a two-dimensional FOV to extend the range of range steerable laser transmitter or an active situational sensor. Mechanical, solid-state or optical phase array techniques may be used to scan the spot-beam(s) in the circular pattern. Mirrors are preferably positioned to redirect the spot-beams to enter and exit the ring amplifier through sidewalls to amplify the spot-beam and return it along a path to scan the circular pattern. For efficiency, the pumps and thermal control may be synchronized to the circular scan pattern to only pump and cool the section of gain medium in which the spot-beam is currently scanned and the next section of gain medium in the circular scan pattern.

An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space can include a Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports. A beamsteering LC electrode can be included in or coupled to the LCW and can be configured to vary a receiving direction of light received at the second LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space. A photodetector can be optically coupled to the first LCW light port, such as to detect waveguided light from different light origination locations in space received in response to the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode. Ranger, bright-spot locking, laser detection, direct detect and coherent lidar, wavelength detection, and other techniques and use cases are possible.