An optical element is provided. The optical element includes an optical film including a birefringent material having a chirality. Optically anisotropic molecules of the birefringent material disposed adjacent a first surface of the optical film are configured with a first pretilt angle in a range of greater than 10° and less than 80°, or in a range of greater than −80° and less than −10°. Optically anisotropic molecules of the birefringent material disposed adjacent a second surface of the optical film opposing the first surface are configured with a second pretilt angle in the range of greater than 10° and less than 80°, or in the range of greater than −80° and less than −10°.

A diffusive layer including a laminate of a plurality of transparent films is provided. At least one of the plurality of transparent films includes a plurality of diffusive elements with a concentration that is less than a percolation threshold. The plurality of diffusive elements are optical elements that diffuse light that is impinging on such element. The plurality of diffusive elements can be diffusively reflective, diffusively transmitting or combination of both. The plurality of diffusive elements can include fibers, grains, domains, and/or the like. The at least one film can also include a powder material for improving the diffusive emission of radiation and a plurality of particles that are fluorescent when exposed to radiation.

A transparent layered element with diffuse reflection properties includes two outer layers made of dielectric materials having substantially the same refractive index and a central layer intercalated between the two outer layers, formed either from a single layer which is a dielectric layer with a refractive index different from that of the outer layers or a metallic layer, or from a stack of layers which includes at least one dielectric layer with a refractive index different from that of the outer layers or a metallic layer. The upper outer layer is a sol-gel layer including a silica-based organic/inorganic hybrid matrix.

Incident optical signals propagate within a diffuser substrate and impinge upon an optical diffuser within the diffuser substrate or on its output surface. The optical diffuser redirects or transforms respective portions of each incident signal into corresponding forward- and backward-directed optical signals. The backward-directed signals are redirected or transformed into additional incident signals, and so on. The forward-directed optical signals collectively form the optical output of an illumination source that exhibits reduced speckle. The illumination source can include multiple laser sources formed on or attached to an input surface of the diffuser substrate.

A system and method are provided for forming energy filter layers or shutter components, including energy scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The energy filters or shutter components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields. The energy scattering layers may conceal a sensor such as a camera or photovoltaic cell.

Technologies and implementations for reflective roofs are generally disclosed.

An opaque cover is provided for a capacitive sensor. The cover includes a transparent substrate, and at least one white coating layer including white pigments disposed over at least one portion of the transparent substrate. The cover also includes a non-conductive mirror structure disposed over the at least one white coating layer. The non-conductive mirror structure includes a number of first dielectric layers having a first refractive index interleaved with second dielectric layers having a second refractive index. The first and second dielectric layers have dielectric constants below a threshold.

A system and method are provided for forming body structures including energy filters/shutter components, including energy/light directing/scattering layers that are actively electrically switchable. The filters or components are operable between at least a first mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the shutter components, appear substantially transparent when viewed from an energy/light incident side, and a second mode in which the layers, and thus the presentation of the energy filters or shutter components, appear opaque to the incident energy impinging on the energy incident side. The differing modes are selectable by electrically energizing, differentially energizing and/or de-energizing electric fields in a vicinity of the energy scattering layers, including electric fields generated between a pair of transparent electrodes sandwiching an energy scattering layer. Refractive indices of transparent particles, and the transparent matrices in which the particles are fixed, are tunable according to the applied electric fields.

A diffusion member includes a first layer and a second layer, in this order, wherein the first layer has a light transmissivity and a light diffusivity, in the second layer, a reflectance of light increases as an absolute value of an incident angle with respect to a first layer side surface of the second layer decreases, and a transmittance of light increases as an absolute value of an incident angle with respect to a first layer side surface of the second layer increases.

A display device includes a projector and a display that has a first surface and a second surface. The projector is configured to project image light toward the display. The display is configured to output diffused image light from the first surface and to transmit ambient light from the second surface to the first surface. The display device also includes an optical assembly that has a substrate with substantially uniform thickness. The optical assembly is configured to receive the diffused image light and transmit a portion of the diffused image light output from the first surface of the display at a first optical power. The optical assembly is also configured to receive the ambient light and transmit a portion of the ambient light through the optical assembly at a second optical power that is less than the first optical power.