A sun protection device is provided, which includes a main body and an S-type polarizer. The main body has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, and the outer surface is configured to face sunlight, and the main body has a plurality of voids disposed inside the main body, on the inner surface of the main body or a combination thereof, in which when the sunlight irradiates the outer surface of the main body, a first reflected light and a first refracted light are formed, and the first refracted light enters the main body, and when the first refracted light arrives at a surface of one of the voids facing the outer surface, a second reflected light is formed. The S-type polarizer is adjacent to the inner surface of the main body.

The present invention relates to broadband and tunable infrared (IR)-blocking optical filters for millimeter and sub-millimeter astronomy composed of small diffusely scattered particles embedded in an aerogel substrate. The size of the scattering particles included in the aerogel filters can be tuned to give variable cutoff frequencies. In one embodiment, the aerogel scattering optical filters of the present invention have ultra-low density and index of refraction (typically n<1.15), removing the need for anti-reflection coatings that limit bandwidth and increase filter complexity, and allowing for high transmission across an ultra-broad band from zero frequency to above 1 THz, and as much as 10 THz.

The present invention relates to sunshade units for internal or external cladding of the transparent structures of a building façade comprising a plurality of lamellae (201) each having a substantially flat and elongated conformation along a respective development axis (B), and a structure (220,220′) supporting the lamellae configured to support the plurality of lamellae (201) in a condition of parallel and spaced apart lamellae along a direction orthogonal to the development axes (B), the structure (220,220′) supporting the lamellae being configured to support the plurality of lamellae (201) in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis parallel to or coincident with its development axis (B), characterized in that each lamella (201) of the plurality of lamellae (201) includes at least one surface portion which comprises at least a reflective layer (10) having at least one reflective surface (11), and a chromatic diffusion layer (20) having a first surface (21) proximal to the reflective surface (11) and a second surface (23), opposite and substantially parallel to the first, configured to be illuminated by incident light, wherein the chromatic diffusion layer (20) comprises a nano-pillar (70) or nano-pore (30) structure in a first material having a first refractive index (n1), immersed in a second material having a second refractive index (n2) other than the first (n1), in which the first and second materials are substantially non-absorbing or transparent to electromagnetic radiations with wavelength comprised in the visible spectrum, wherein the ratio (n.sub.M/n.sub.m>between a higher refractive index (nm) and a lower refractive index (nm) chosen between the first (n1) and the second (n2) refractive indexes is comprised between 1.05 and 3, wherein the nano-pillars (71) or nano-pores (31) locally have a development along a main direction not parallel to the first surface (21) and to the second surface (23) of the chromatic diffusion layer, and the nano-pillar (70) or nano-pore (30) structure is characterized by a plurality of geometric parameters comprising a pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.P), a pillar length or pore length (l.sub.p) along said non-parallel direction, a surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and a porosity (P.sub.p) of structure (30,70), and wherein the plurality of geometric parameters is configured to provide a higher regular reflectance for wavelengths of the incident light comprised in the range of red with respect to wavelengths of the incident

With a simple configuration, an optical device having an in-coupling function to a lightguide is provided. The optical device includes a light guiding layer; and in-coupling optics provided integrally with the light guiding layer to couple light from a light source to an incident edge of the light guiding layer. The in-coupling optics include an optical element that is convex toward the incident edge and an air cavity provided between the optical element and the incident edge.

A system and method are provided for forming body structures including energy filters/shutter components, including energy/light directing/scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The filters or components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers, including electric fields generated between a paid of transparent electrodes sandwiching an energy scattering layer. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields.

The present invention is directed to an optical member including: a first layer that includes a first region having a refractive index n.sub.1 and a second region having a refractive index n.sub.3; and a second layer disposed on a first main surface of the first layer so as to be in contact with the first region and the second region, the second layer having a refractive index n.sub.2. The first layer includes a plurality of said second regions adjoining the first region along a planar direction of the first layer; the plurality of second regions constitute a geometric pattern; and n.sub.1 to n.sub.3 satisfy the relationship n1<n3<n2. When an optical member according to the present invention is integrated with a lightguide in use, excellent light extraction function is exhibited and leakage of light due to light scattering is suppressed, while attaining good mechanical strength at the same time.

With a simple configuration, an optical device which realizes uniform light distribution and adequate display quality is provided. An optical device includes: a light guiding layer; a first optically functional layer provided on at least one of a first principal face and a second principal face of the light guiding layer; and a ray control structure, at an end of the light guiding layer on a light-incident side, being provided on a surface of the first optically functional layer that is on an opposite side to the light guiding layer. The ray control structure reduces light which is incident from an edge of the light guiding layer to the first optically functional layer at an angle smaller than a critical angle.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an illuminator for disinfecting a surface. The surface defines a first plane. The illuminator includes a line emitter configured to emit light in a continuous line along at least a portion of at least one edge of the surface. The light has a peak wavelength in a range of 100 nm to 400 nm. The illuminator also includes a curved reflector surface and an exit aperture defining a second plane transverse to the first plane. The line emitter is positioned between the curved reflector surface and the exit aperture, and the curved reflector surface is configured to redirect the light from the line emitter through the exit aperture across the surface.

A system and method are provided for forming energy filter layers or shutter components, including energy scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The energy filters or shutter components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields. The energy scattering layers may conceal a sensor such as a camera or photovoltaic cell.

A screen including a light control sheet which includes a front surface and a rear surface and has a transparent state and an opaque state, and a transparent reflective layer that faces the rear surface. The front surface is positioned such that light from a projection device is applied in the opaque state. The opaque state includes a state in which an average diffuse reflectance of visible light applied to the front surface is 10% or more and less than 20%.