A system with a deformable membrane for speckle mitigation. In some embodiments, the system includes a laser for producing laser light; a photodetector for detecting the laser light after interaction of the laser light with a sample; and a silicon deformable membrane, for modulating the phase of the laser light.

An actuator that includes: a first driving body that includes a first piezoelectric material that extends in a first axis direction; a second driving body that includes a second piezoelectric material shorter than the first piezoelectric material in the first axis direction; and a base that holds the first driving body and the second driving body at proximal end portions of the first driving body and the second driving body in the first axis direction. The first driving body and the second driving body are aligned and coupled together in a polarization axis direction in a state in which a polarization axis of the first piezoelectric material and a polarization axis of the second piezoelectric material correspond with each other. A length of the second piezoelectric material in a second axis direction is greater than a length of the first piezoelectric material in the second axis direction.

A light projection system includes a MEMS mirror operating on a mirror drive signal to generate a mirror sense signal resulting from operation of the MEMS mirror based on the mirror drive signal. A mirror driver generates the mirror drive signal from a drive control signal. A controller receives the mirror sense signal from the MEMS mirror, obtains a first sample of the mirror sense signal at a first phase thereof, obtains a second sample of the mirror sense signal at a second phase thereof, wherein the first and second phases are separated by a half period of the mirror drive signal, with the second phase occurring after the first phase, and generates the drive control signal based on a difference between the first and second samples to keep the mirror drive signal separated in phase from the mirror sense signal by a desired amount of phase separation.

A resonance mode of one lower order than a basic resonance mode closest to a frequency of a cyclic voltage signal exists in at least any one of a plurality of resonance modes accompanied by a mirror tilt swing around a first axis or a plurality of resonance modes accompanied by the mirror tilt swing around a second axis. In a case where a resonance frequency of one higher order from a frequency of the basic resonance mode is f.sub.rH, a ratio of a first voltage level to a second voltage level which is a maximum voltage level value in the entire frequency range among frequency components of the cyclic voltage signal is satisfied to be −55 dBV or less, where a maximum voltage level value in a frequency range of (1±1/20)×f.sub.rL and a frequency range of (1± 1/20)×f.sub.rH among the frequency components of the cyclic voltage signal is the first voltage level for an axis in which the lower-order resonance mode exists among the first axis and the second axis, and a maximum voltage level value in the frequency range of (1± 1/20)×C.sub.rH among the frequency components of the cyclic voltage signal is the first voltage level for an axis in which the lower-order resonance mode does not exist among the axes.

An optical scanning device causes a mirror portion to perform a spiral rotation operation with a first driving signal applied to a first actuator and a second driving signal applied to a second actuator as cyclic voltage signals. In a case where a resonance frequency and a resonance Q value of a resonance mode, among resonance modes accompanied by mirror tilt swing around a first axis, closest to a frequency of the cyclic voltage signal are respectively set as f.sub.r1 and Q.sub.1, a resonance frequency and a resonance Q value of a resonance mode, among resonance modes accompanied by mirror tilt swing around a second axis, closest to the frequency of the cyclic voltage signal are respectively set as f.sub.r2 and Q.sub.2, and the frequency of the cyclic voltage signal is f.sub.d, a relationship of Q.sub.1≠Q.sub.2, F.sub.r2<f.sub.r1, and f.sub.r2×(1−1/(1.2×Q.sub.2))≤f.sub.d≤f.sub.r1×(1+1/(6×Q.sub.1)) is satisfied.

A micromechanical component comprising a bracket and an adjustable portion arranged in an adjustable manner on the bracket. The micromechanical component includes a first bender actuator and a first support structure for the first bender actuator. The first bender actuator is arranged in or on the first support structure and is configured to bend the first support structure at least in the area of the first bender actuator arranged in or on the first support structure, such that the adjustable portion is displaceable relative to the bracket about a first rotational axis. The first support structure is directly connected to the adjustable portion. The micromechanical component additionally includes a first spring configured to suspend the first support structure for the first bender actuator and the adjustable portion from the bracket.

A distally-actuated scanning mirror includes: a mirror block with reflective surface on one side; torsional hinges with proximal ends rigidly attached to the mirror block, and with distal ends attached to flexural structures configured to transform translational motion of the piezoelectric elements into rotational motion of the distal ends of the hinges; and piezoelectric elements providing such translational motion. The distally-actuated scanning mirror also includes flexural structures made of separate flexures attached to the opposite surfaces of the distal ends of the hinges, which flexural structures have defined thinned-down flexural points. Portions of the distally-actuated scanning mirror may be 3D printed and/or fabricated by silicon MEMS technology. The mirror is fabricated from a Silicon-on-Insulator wafer, having a relatively thick (e.g., 380 um) handle layer, and a relatively thin e.g., 50 um), where photolithography with backside-alignment allows separate patterning of these two layers.

Techniques are disclosed to enable a system for wide-range scanning of objects in three-dimensions. A broad-beam, laser-based transmitter is provided that is adapted to generate a scanning signal to be transmitted in a scanning direction toward an object to be scanned, a portion of the scanning signal being reflected by the object to be scanned. Additionally, a scanning signal collection lens is provided that is adapted to receive the portion of reflected scanning signal and to direct the reflected scanning signal to a mirror array, the mirror array adapted to selectively direct a directed portion of the reflected scanning signal as well as a detector lens adapted to receive the directed scanning signal, the collection lens adapted to focus the directed scanning signal resulting in a focused directed signal and a photoelectric detector adapted to convert the focused directed scanning signal into at least one electronic representation of a two-dimensional image. A rotational motor is provided that is adapted to rotate the system with respect to the area being scanned.

A mirror drive portion which causes a mirror portion to swing around a predetermined swing axis; a single optical sensor including a single light emission portion and a single light reception portion which receives light emitted from the light emission portion; a light blocking portion which is arranged in the mirror portion to swing together with the swing of the mirror portion and periodically blocks the light emitted from the light emission portion along with the swing; and a mirror control portion which controls the swing of the mirror portion based on an alternating voltage and a detection signal of the optical sensor, wherein the mirror control portion acquires a state of the swing of the mirror portion based on a light reception state of the light reception portion and a zero-cross timing of the alternating voltage, and controls the swing of the mirror portion.

The invention relates to a tunable lens where the optical power can be adjusted. The lens consists of a deformable, non-fluid lens body sandwiched between a thin, flexible membrane and transparent back window, and an actuator system serving to change the overall shape of the membrane and lens body. The membrane is pre-shaped to have a Sag or Sagittal of at least 10 μm so that the lens has a non-zero optical power when the actuator system is not activated. In order to achieve a large optical power range for the lens, the membrane should preferably be made of a material having a Young's modulus in the range 2-1.000 MPa.