Techniques for overcoating slanted structures and devices obtained using the techniques are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of forming an overcoat layer on a surface-relief structure on a substrate includes receiving the substrate with the surface-relief structure. The surface-relief structure includes a plurality of ridges slanted with respect to the substrate, and a plurality of grooves each between two adjacent ridges. The method further includes depositing, in each cycle of a plurality of cycles, a uniform layer of an overcoat material on surfaces of the plurality of ridges and bottoms of the plurality of grooves. The deposited layers of the overcoat material and the plurality of ridges collectively form a light-coupling structure on the substrate. A surface of the overcoat layer is planar.

A method for manufacturing an optical fiber ribbon where adjacent optical fibers are intermittently connected in a length direction includes: feeding the optical fibers along the length direction; and intermittently applying a resin in the length direction by: rotating, between adjacent ones of the optical fibers, a rotating member having a recess, and blocking the resin with a peripheral edge part of the rotating member where the recess is not formed. A moving speed, in the length direction, of the peripheral edge part at a position where the peripheral edge part blocks the resin between the optical fibers is slower than a feeding speed of the optical fibers.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object (e.g. comprised of polyurethane, polyurea, or copolymer thereof) is carried out by: (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid comprising a mixture of: (i) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component that is different from the first component; (c) irradiating the build region with light through the optically transparent member to form a solid blocked polymer scaffold and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form a three-dimensional intermediate having the same shape as, or a shape to be imparted to, the three-dimensional object, with the intermediate containing the second solidifiable component; and then (d) contacting the three-dimensional intermediate to water to form the three-dimensional object.

In accordance with embodiments of this disclosure a light guide includes a flexible substrate having two outer surfaces with at least one of the two outer surfaces defining a light emitting area. At least one edge of the flexible substrate is configured to receive light from a light source coupled to the edge. The light guide further includes a plurality of light extraction features formed within the flexible substrate in between the two outer surfaces. The light extraction features may be arranged according to a controlled distribution that affects a propagation of light in between the two outer surfaces and an emission of light from the light emitting area.

A method of shaping an optical fiber includes displaying a user interface on a display screen. The user interface includes a timeline, a plurality of optical fiber manipulation parameter blocks within the timeline, and a script block including a plurality of script elements. The method further includes receiving data indicative of a user input selection of a script element for an optical fiber manipulation parameter block and a user input entry of one or more properties of the script element; determining, in response to the user input selection and user input entry, one or more actions to be performed by an optical fiber processing machine to shape the optical fiber; and providing, by the one or more computing devices, one or more control signals to the optical fiber processing machine to cause the optical fiber processing machine to perform the one or more actions.

The present invention provides a method for producing a light guide plate including a light-diffusing surface. The method includes (1) applying a protonic polar solvent to a surface of a polycarbonate substrate, and (2) heating the polycarbonate substrate in a water-containing environment to cause precipitation of bisphenol A particles each having a particle size of 10 m or smaller on the surface of the polycarbonate substrate.

An optical device, including a light waves-transmitting substrate has two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate, one or more of the partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) being an anisotropic surface. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.

A freeform DOE for use in an optical transmitter and a method of designing and manufacturing the DOE are provided. The freeform DOE is capable of achieving the same, or nearly the same, functionality as that of a glass DOE, but has a design that has been transformed to make the surface profile of the DOE compatible with a molding process that can be used to manufacture the DOE with high quality at low costs. The method of designing and manufacturing the DOE includes preselecting a CGH that will obtain a target freeform DOE design, using a preselected smoothing function to smooth the surface profile of the target freeform DOE design to transform the design into a DOE design that is compatible with a molding process, and using a fabrication process to manufacture a freeform DOE that is based on the transformed DOE design.

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to extruding multiple layers of micro- to nano-polymer 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 nano-polymer layers in a tubular shape.

A coating composition containing a radiation-curable component, a photoinitiator, and a UV absorber is described. The coating composition may be applied to an optical fiber and cured to form a coating. The UV absorber provides a protective function by inhibiting unintended curing of the coating that may occur upon exposure of the fiber to UV light during fiber processing. The spectral overlap of the photoinitiator and UV absorber is minimized to permit efficient photoinitiation of the curing reaction over one or more wavelengths. Photoinitiation may be excited by an LED source with a peak emission wavelength in the range from 360 nm-410 nm.