A plastic scintillating fiber according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an outermost peripheral layer containing a fluorescent substance that emits scintillation light when it is irradiated with at least one of neutron radiation and heavy-particle radiation; a core disposed inside the outermost peripheral layer and containing at least one type of fluorescent substance that absorbs the scintillation light and wavelength-converts the absorbed light into light having a wavelength longer than that of the absorbed light; and a cladding layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the core and having a refractive index lower than that of the core. A wavelength shifting fiber including the core and the cladding layer, and the outermost peripheral layer covering an outer peripheral surface of the wavelength shifting fiber are integrally formed.

A polymer optical fiber is provided which shows improved hydrolytic stability. This fiber comprises a polymeric optical core and cladding layer, surrounded by a polymeric overcladding layer which comprises a miscible blend of one or more hydrolytically stable amorphous polymers. By varying the ratios of the component polymers in the overcladding blend, the glass transition temperature and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the overcladding layer may be tuned to optimize the attenuation and bandwidth of the plastic optical fiber.

An electronic device may have a housing with a display. A protective display cover layer for the display may have an image transport layer such as an image transport layer formed from Anderson localization material. Anderson localization material may be formed using equipment such as heated molds, extrusion equipment, fusion tools, and fiber drawing equipment. The materials used to form a block of Anderson localization material may be polymers or other transparent materials. Elevated temperatures such as temperatures above the melting points of the polymers may be used during extrusion, fusion, drawing, and other operations.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a plastic optical fiber having a small transmission loss. The method includes subjecting the plastic optical fiber to heat treatment. The plastic optical fiber includes a core portion and a cladding portion, the core portion is formed of a perfluorinated resin and having a refractive index gradient in a radial direction thereof.

A cladding light stripper may include a double-clad optical fiber having a core for guiding signal light, an inner cladding surrounding the core, and an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding. The optical fiber may include a stripped portion forming an exposed section. The exposed section may include a plurality of spirally-arranged transversal notches disposed along the optical fiber to enable light to escape the inner cladding upon impinging on the plurality of notches. A circumferential segment of the optical fiber may include a single notch of the plurality of notches. Each of the plurality of notches may have a depth of only a partial distance to the core.

An optical fiber rod (30) according to the present invention includes a center region (35), an outer region (31) formed around the center region (35), and an intermediate region (33) formed between the center region (35) and the outer region (31), and satisfies nA>nB>nC where nA is the refractive index of a material A produced by polymerization of a monomer ma, nB is the refractive index of a material B produced by polymerization of a monomer mb, and nC is the refractive index of a material C produced by polymerization of a monomer mc. The center region (35) is made of a material produced by polymerization of a monomer mixture containing the monomer ma, the outer region (31) is made of a material produced by polymerization of a monomer mixture containing the monomer mc, and the intermediate region (33) is made of a material produced by polymerization of a monomer mixture containing the monomer mb. The refractive index decreases in the order: the center region (35)>the intermediate region (33)>the outer region (31).

A method of manufacturing a 3-dimensional variable refractive-index optical-element with surface figure, the method comprising: depositing a plurality of nanocomposite-inks comprising an organic-matrix with a nanoparticle filler dispersed within, and at least partially curing a portion of the nanocomposite-ink to form a nanocomposite slab that is at least semi-solid; transferring the nanocomposite slab to a press, the press having a die mold with at least a first surface figure; and actuating the press to compress the nanocomposite slab and impart the die mold's first surface figure onto the nanocomposite slab to form a nanocomposite optical-element.

A multifunction lamp unit for a vehicle includes a housing, at least one light conductor with at least one illuminant provided by an LED on a printed circuit board, at least one light foil, and a clear lens. A method for manufacturing lamps for vehicles includes producing a housing, a light conductor, and a clear lens as one unit out of plastic in a 3-component injection procedure.

In accordance with a method of forming a waveguide in a polymer film disposed on a substrate, a plurality of regions on a polymer film are selectively exposed to a first dosage of radiation. The polymer film is formed from a material having a refractive index that decreases by exposure to the radiation and subsequent heating. At least one region of the polymer film that was not previously exposed to the radiation is selectively exposing to a second dosage of radiation. The second dosage of radiation is less than the first dosage of radiation. The polymer film is heated to complete curing of the polymer film.

A method of manufacturing a 3-dimensional variable refractive-index optical-element with surface figure, the method comprising: depositing a plurality of nanocomposite-inks comprising an organic-matrix with a nanoparticle filler dispersed within, and at least partially curing a portion of the nanocomposite-ink to form a nanocomposite slab that is at least semi-solid; transferring the nanocomposite slab to a press, the press having a die mold with at least a first surface figure; and actuating the press to compress the nanocomposite slab and impart the die mold's first surface figure onto the nanocomposite slab to form a nanocomposite optical-element.