A switchable privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator, and switchable liquid crystal retarder arranged between crossed quarter-wave plates and polarisers. In a privacy mode of operation, on-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss, whereas off-axis light has reduced luminance to reduce the visibility of the display to off-axis snoopers. The display may be rotated to achieve privacy operation in landscape and portrait orientations. Further, display reflectivity may be reduced for on-axis reflections of ambient light, while reflectivity may be increased for off-axis light to achieve increased visual security. In a public mode of operation, the liquid crystal retardance is adjusted so that off-axis luminance and reflectivity are unmodified. The display may also be operated to switch between day-time and night-time operation, for example for use in an automotive environment.

A touch panel includes a cover lens located at top of the touch panel, plural touch sensor units, and plural sensing channels. The touch sensor units are disposed below the cover lens and arranged in rows and columns. The touch sensor units are disposed on the sensing channels. Each of touch sensor units acquires a sensing magnitude for identifying a position of the cover lens that touched by the stylus according to signals outputted by the sensing channels. The sensing magnitude of one of the touch sensor units is composed of the signals of the adjacent sensing channels located within a vertical projection of the one of the touch sensor units.

An optical waveguide device includes a substrate on which an optical waveguide is formed, and a reinforcing block disposed on the substrate, along an end surface of the substrate on which an input portion or an output portion of the optical waveguide is disposed, in which an optical component that is joined to both the end surface of the substrate and an end surface of the reinforcing block is provided, a material used for a joining surface of the optical component and a material used for the substrate or the reinforcing block have at least different linear expansion coefficients of a direction parallel to the joining surface, and an area of the joining surface is set to be smaller than a maximum value of a total of areas of cross sections of the substrate and the reinforcing block parallel to the joining surface.

Provided is a light modulator including a substrate, and a resonator configured to modulate a phase of incident light by modulating a refractive index based on an external stimulus, the resonator comprising a first reflective structure provided on the substrate, a cavity layer provided on the first reflective structure, and a second reflective structure provided on the cavity layer, wherein at least one of the first reflective structure or the second reflective structure comprises first material layers, second material layers that are alternately stacked with the first material layers, and a third material layer, and wherein each of the first material layers has a first refractive index, each of the second material layers has a second refractive index that is different from the first refractive index, and the third material layer has a third refractive index that is different from the first refractive index

An electrically-tunable optical filter has an optical cavity that forms an absorption peak in light that is incident on the filter. The optical cavity includes a layer composed of a material with a high electro-optic coefficient so that the index of refraction of the layer changes in response to a voltage applied by a controller. By adjusting the voltage, the controller can control the index of refraction so that an absorption peak of the filter can be tuned as may be desired without having to alter the physical structure of the filter.

An apparatus includes a horn having a horn body including at least one horn sidewall defining a first opening that tapers down to a second opening in a direction of elongation and a port that is tubular and dimensionally uniform transverse to the direction of elongation and extends in the direction of elongation from a first port end that is in communication with the second opening to a second port end that defines an external opening. A dielectric rod includes a rod length extending between a first rod end and a second rod end with the first rod end extending through the external opening of the second port end and into the port cavity such that the first rod end is in a spaced apart relationship from the port sidewall along the light path.

The disclosure relates to a panel comprising a first conductive layer that is transparent, a second conductive layer that is transparent, and a refractive-index-variable layer between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. A refractive index of the variable-refractive-index layer varies with a voltage applied between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

Systems and methods for optical computation and acousto-optic modulation are described. The systems and methods comprise acousto-optic modulators with reflectors and transducers used for actuation and modulation of mechanical waves. The systems further comprise multilayer optical computing systems incorporating arrays of acousto-optic modulators. In an embodiment, the acousto-optic modulator comprises a substrate; an optical layer coupled to a first portion of the substrate, the optical layer comprising: a free-standing portion shaped and positioned to define a gap between the free-standing portion of the optical layer and the substrate; and a rib waveguide comprising a photonic crystal, formed in the free-standing portion; and a piezoelectric transducer mechanically coupled to the free-standing portion, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric material and a plurality of conductive electrodes disposed in electrically conductive contact with the piezoelectric material, the plurality of conductive electrodes extending from a base portion of the piezoelectric transducer.

A display apparatus includes a display, a plate-like body, and a gap portion. The display is configured to display an image and having a front surface. The plate-like body is provided along the front surface of the display and configured to transmit image light emitted from the front surface of the display. The gap portion is formed between the front surface of the display and the plate-like body and configured to switch between a state filled with a fluid and a state where the fluid is discharged.

An organic compound is represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

In formula (1), X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an aralkyl group. A.sub.1.sup. and A.sub.2.sup. each independently represent a monovalent anion.