A trim element having a coating layer defining an outer surface and an inner surface, the coating layer including at least two distinct backlit pattern areas separated by at least one opaque area preventing the passage of light from the inner surface to the outer surface. The trim element includes at least one light source for each backlit pattern area, the light source being fixed on the inner surface of the coating layer facing an opaque area while being spaced apart from the corresponding backlit pattern area. The trim element has one light guide per backlit pattern area.

An optical structure is provided. The optical structure includes an optical element and a plurality of protrusions. The optical element has a planarized top surface. The plurality of protrusions are disposed on the planarized top surface, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions independently has a size in the subwavelength dimensions.

Systems and methods of aligning multicore fiber optic cables are provided. A method for aligning a first multicore fiber (MCF) and a second multicore fiber (MCF), the first MCF and second MCF each comprising a plurality of cores and a marker, the method including: producing a brightness profile for the first and second MCFs; determining rotational orientations of the first and second MCFs from the brightness profile; rotating at least one of the first and second MCFs until each of the plurality of cores of the first MCF and the second MCF are aligned; determining if the markers of the first MCF and second MCF are aligned in view of a region of the brightness profile associated with the markers; and splicing the first MCF and the second MCF together if the cores and marker of the first MCF are aligned with the cores and marker of the second MCF.

An optical article for illuminating building interiors including a reflective grid panel, an LED light source positioned above the reflective grid panel and configured to illuminate the reflective grid panel at incidence angles ranging from a minimum angle of 0° to a maximum angle of at least 45°, a light diffusing sheet of an optically transmissive dielectric material approximately coextensive with and oriented generally parallel to the reflective grid panel, and a pair of reflective side walls flanking a space between the reflective grid panel and the light diffusing sheet. The reflective grid panel incorporates a plurality of parallel longitudinal walls and a plurality of parallel transverse walls joining the walls and defining a plurality of rectangular openings configured to transmit light. Each of the parallel transverse walls extends transversely with respect to a plane of the reflective panel and is configured to diffusely reflect a portion of the light being transmitted through the plurality of rectangular openings.

An example system for molding a photocurable material into a planar object includes a first mold structure having a first mold surface, a second mold structure having a second mold surface, and one or more protrusions disposed along at least one of the first mold surface or the second mold surface. During operation, the system is configured to position the first and second mold structures such that the first and second mold surfaces face each other with the one or more protrusions contacting the opposite mold surface, and a volume having a total thickness variation (TTV) of 500 nm or less is defined between the first and second mold surfaces. The system is further configured to receive the photocurable material in the volume, and direct radiation at the one or more wavelengths into the volume.

A method for introducing a customized variation of a geometric parameter in a nanoscale pattern on a substrate. A nanoscale precision programmable profiling process is conducted on one or more regions of the substrate with the nanoscale pattern, where the nanoscale precision programmable profiling process is used to deposit a profiling film with a thickness profile that is a function of the customized variation of the geometric parameter in the nanoscale pattern. The method further comprises conducting a plasma etch process of the profiling film and the material of the nanoscale pattern that converts the thickness profile of the profiling film into the customized variation of the geometric parameter in the nanoscale pattern, where the customized variation is a function of the thickness profile of the profiling film.

A structure for coupling an optical signal between an integrated circuit photonic structure and an external optical fiber is disclosed as in a method of formation. The coupling structure is sloped relative to a horizontal surface of the photonic structure such that light entering or leaving the photonic structure is substantially normal to its upper surface.

The present invention relates to the technical field of optical film production, and provides a light guide film production device, including a feeding unit, a fusion stirring unit, an extrusion molding unit, a cooling shaping unit, a guide leveling unit, a flattening unit, and a finished product winding unit. The cooling shaping unit is provided with a first water tank to perform heat exchange on an extruded light guide film for heat recovery, so that edge film pressing mechanisms press pressure blocks at the edge film positions using the memory effect of a memory alloy. Circulating water of the first water tank subjected to heat exchange is delivered to a second water tank disposed in the flattening unit, so that a first conveyor belt made of the memory alloy in a third drive device drives a second rolling roller set to rotate to realize secondary utilization of recovered heat. In the present invention, an air delivery mechanism with one airflow pipe to the cooling shaping unit, and the other airflow pipe to the flattening unit is further provided. According to the present invention, the heat of the light guide film production process is used to improve the quality of the light guide film and reduce the energy consumption of the light guide film production process.

The present invention discloses a precise extrusion and transfer apparatus for light guide plate production, including: a feed hopper; a dehumidifying and drying device; a screw conveyor fixedly mounted on one side of the outer wall of the dehumidifying and drying device; a screw extrusion device; and a molding box fixedly mounted with first motors and a second motor on one side of the outer wall by means of bolts, where power output ends of two sets of first motors pass through the molding box and are fixedly mounted with first precise roller bearings by means of rotating shafts, and a power output end of the second motor passes through the molding box and is fixedly mounted with a second precise roller bearing by means of a rotating shaft. According to the present invention, one-step molding from a particle base material to a finished light guide film is implemented, the problem of warpage is overcome, the production efficiency is improved, and the production cycle can be shortened to 1 s; and the product is thinner and can be as thin as 80 μm, the production costs such as material consumption and labor are greatly reduced, key indicators of the product such as brightness and light transmittance of the light guide film are comprehensively improved, and the advantages in quality and costs are enabled in fierce market competition.

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.