An integrated device comprising at least one photovoltaic element, at least one light modulating element, at least one light reflecting element and one or more electrical conductors coupled to the photovoltaic element and the light modulating element. An interrogating light beam can be pointed at the integrated device, and a modulated light beam is reflected back by the device in the direction of the interrogating light beam with the reflected light beam containing information/data being modulated by the device onto the reflected light beam.

An optical circuit includes one or more input waveguides, a plurality of output waveguides, and a reflector structure. At least a portion of the reflector structure forms an interface with the one or more input waveguides. The portion of the reflector structure has a smaller refractive index than the one or more input waveguides. An electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the optical circuit. The electrical circuit generates and sends different electrical signals to the reflector structure. In response to the reflector structure receiving the different electrical signals, a carrier concentration level at or near the interface or a temperature at or near the interface changes, such that incident radiation received from the one or more input waveguides is tunably reflected by the reflector structure into a targeted output waveguide of the plurality of output waveguides.

An assembly including a non-linear element configured for generating broadband radiation from input radiation coupled into the non-linear element. The assembly further includes an optical element positioned downstream of the non-linear element configured to reflect a fraction of the broadband radiation back into the non-linear element. The non-linear element can be a nonlinear fiber, such as a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF).

An optical circuit includes one or more input waveguides, a plurality of output waveguides, and a reflector structure. At least a portion of the reflector structure forms an interface with the one or more input waveguides. The portion of the reflector structure has a smaller refractive index than the one or more input waveguides. An electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the optical circuit. The electrical circuit generates and sends different electrical signals to the reflector structure. In response to the reflector structure receiving the different electrical signals, a carrier concentration level at or near the interface or a temperature at or near the interface changes, such that incident radiation received from the one or more input waveguides is tunably reflected by the reflector structure into a targeted output waveguide of the plurality of output waveguides.

A laser shutter unit includes an acousto-optic element configured to switch an emission direction of incident laser light between a first direction and a second direction, and a multiple reflective optical element configured to reflect first light that is the laser light emitted from the acousto-optic element in the first direction and second light that is the laser light emitted from the acousto-optic element in the second direction, and further reflect at least one of the first light and the second light.

A photoacoustic and ultrasonic endoscope includes an optical fiber, a light diffuser configured to radially diffuse a laser beam transmitted through the optical fiber, and an array transducer having a cylindrical shape and surrounding the light diffuser, the array transducer being configured to transmit the diffused laser beam therethrough and to generate an ultrasonic wave or detect an ultrasonic wave generated by an object to be examined.

Provided is a liquid crystal display element capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state and of reducing or preventing a decrease in luminance in the scattering state. The liquid crystal display element includes a liquid crystal panel containing a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal containing a polymer network and a liquid crystal component, and a light source module including a light source adjacent to the liquid crystal panel and a mirror configured to reflect light emitted from the light source toward the liquid crystal panel.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for photonic crystals logic devices are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a disclosed method for an optical logic device comprises radiating, by at least one source, at least one signal. The method further comprises reflecting at least one signal off of at least one photonic crystal, when at least one photonic crystal senses a physical phenomena of a threshold strength. Also, the method comprises not reflecting at least one signal off of at least one photonic crystal, when at least one photonic crystal does not sense the physical phenomena of the threshold strength. Further, the method comprises detecting or not detecting, by at least one detector, at least one signal.

Disclosed is a system for generating wavelength-tunable, ultra-short light pulses within the visible or infrared light spectrum. The system includes an injection module including a light source and a wavelength-tunable spectral filter. The light source is suitable for generating short light pulses, having a duration measured in nanoseconds, within an emission spectrum having a spectral width of several tens of nanometers to several hundred nanometers. The spectral filter has a spectral width between 250 pm and 3 nm and is suitable for spectrally and temporally filtering the short light pulses such that the injection module generates wavelength-tunable, spectrally filtered, ultra-short light pulses. The system also includes at least one optical amplifier suitable for generating wavelength-tunable, ultra-short, amplified pulses based on the wavelength of the spectral filter.

Disclosed herein are various improvements in optical switching engines. In one aspect, a range of switching engines includes various multiple bounce, multiple image devices, such as, for example, the Herriott Cell and the Robert Cell. In another aspect, liquid crystal spatial light modulators (SLMs) are used in the switching engine of an optical cross-connect. In another aspect, polarization gratings (PGs) are used in the switching engine. In another aspect, a switching engine includes a Fourier cell using SLMs with more than two states. Alternative imaging optics in a Fourier cell implementing a multiple-bounce, multiple image device are also disclosed.