Described is a model-free deep reinforcement learning (DRL) control system and technique. In embodiments, the DRL control system and technique may be used in a real-time manufacturing process. In embodiments, a DRL control system and technique may be used for controlling a fiber drawing system. The DRL-based control system predictively regulates a fiber diameter to track dynamically varying reference trajectories.

Embodiments relate to a polymer waveguide including a substrate, a cladding layer made of a first polymer, formed on the substrate, wherein a first monomer is polymerized into the first polymer, and the cladding layer has a groove for the waveguide by removing part of the cladding layer, and a core accommodating graphene therein, formed on the groove, a method for manufacturing the same, and a passively mode-locked laser based on the polymer waveguide.

An optical fiber mold device has a first portion that includes a base layer having a longitudinal feature configured to receive an optical fiber. At least one second portion is disposed over the base layer. The second portion has a center wall and front and back end walls. The center wall, the front end wall, and the back end wall form a mold cavity. At least one first hole is disposed in the mold cavity and is configured to allow mold material to enter the mold cavity. At least one second hole in the mold cavity is configured to allow air displaced by the mold material to exit the mold cavity.

A method of preparing an overmolded optical fiber assembly comprising: (a) placing at least one flexible optical circuit in a bottom mold, said bottom mold defining a bottom overmold cavity having a bottom surface, said at least one flexible optical circuit having a substrate and a plurality of fibers adhered to said substrate, said substrate being disposed within said bottom overmold cavity to define a first space between said substrate and said bottom surface; (b) flowing a polymer in at least said first space; (c) placing a top mold over said substrate, said top mold defining a top overmold cavity and a top surface and a port defined in said top surface to access said top overmold cavity, said substrate defining a second space between said top surface and said substrate; (d) flowing a polymer in at least a portion of said second space; and (e) removing said bottom and top molds to release said overmolded optical circuit.

A light-guide optical element (LOE) and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The LOE includes a transparent substrate having a first refractive index, the substrate having a pair of parallel external surfaces along a length thereof, and a plurality of mutually parallel at least partially reflective internal surfaces, the mutually parallel internal surfaces being angled obliquely relative to the pair of external surfaces; and a transparent polymer resin encapsulating at least a part of the substrate to form an encapsulated structure, the polymer resin having a second refractive index that is matched to the first refractive index; wherein the encapsulated structure comprises a pair of parallel external surfaces of optical quality formed from the resin.

A diamond turning station having a drum able to be rotated about an axis C and a diamond tip. A piece to be machined P is installed on the drum as follows: the piece to be machined P is offset by a distance D from the rotation axis of the drum; the piece to be machined P is placed so that there is a mean angle Theta between the axis C and a cutting profile corresponding to the active surfaces, the angle Theta being as follows: Theta=arccos (D/Ry), where Ry is a radius of curvature required in the long direction of the microstructures. Next, the diamond tip is moved along the cutting profile of the microstructures, while actuating the rotation of the drum, so as to machine all the microstructures on the surface of the piece to be machined P.

A method for producing light-guide optical elements (LOEs) (16, 18, 56, 58) each having a set of mutually-parallel partially-reflecting surfaces (17) located between, and oriented non-parallel to, a pair of major external surfaces, and at least one region (30a, 30b, 30c) without partially-reflecting surfaces. The method includes bonding together parallel-faced plates (4) at interfaces to form a stack (42) of plates with partially-reflecting coatings between them. The stack is cut and polished to form a boundary plane (48, 48a, 48b) intersecting the interfaces, and a block (50, 50a, 50b) of transparent material is bonded to the stack. The resulting precursor structure (52, 52′) is sliced along parallel planes to form slices, each containing a part of the stack for the active region of the LOE and a part of the block.

The present disclosure relates to methods of forming a fiber optic core, and a fiber optic component with a highly uniform cladding covering the fiber optic core. In one microfabrication process a first sacrificial tubing is provided which has a predetermined inner diameter. A quantity of a curable polymer is also provided. The first sacrificial tubing is at least partially filled with the curable polymer. The curable polymer is then cured. The first sacrificial tubing is then removed to produce a finished fiber optic core. Additional operations may be performed by which the fiber optic core is placed inside a thermoplastic tubing, which is itself placed inside a sacrificial heat shrink. Heat is applied to reflow the thermoplastic tubing around the fiber optic core, thus forming a highly uniform thickness cladding. When the sacrificial heat shrink tubing is removed a finished fiber optic component is present. Additional microfabrication methods are disclosed which involve dip coating a pre-formed fiber optic core in a polymer, and then curing the polymer to form a finished fiber optic component with a uniform thickness cladding.

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to extruding multiple layers of micro- to nanopolymer layers in a tubular shape. In particular, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to a method for producing a Bragg reflector comprising co-extrusion of micro- to nanopolymer layers in a tubular shape.

An optical component includes a light guide board. The light guide board can include an incident surface, an underside, and an exit surface. The incident surface is connected to the underside and the exit surface, respectively. The underside is parallel to the exit surface. Further, the exit surface includes a prism structure for refracting light in the light guide board.