Leland Stanford Junior University

University of California

Silicon Light Machines Corporation

The Boeing Company

Screen Holdings Co., Ltd.

Sinvent As

University of Texas System

Sintef

Olav Solgaard

Gordon S Kino

Michel J F Digonnet

Onur Kilic

Jonathan P Heritage

Amal Ranjan Bhattarai

Calvin F Quate

Onur Can Akkaya

Ozgur Sahin

Shanhui Fan

David M Bloom

Ib-Rune Johansen

Joseph Mardell Kahn

Stephen Hamann

Francisco S Sandejas

Mark A Horowitz

Michael J Mandella

James A Hunter

Alexander P Payne

Michael A Carralero

Wonjoo Suh

Uma Krishnamoorthy

Raj B Apte

Ty Aaby Larsen

Christopher H Contag

Abdullah Atalar

Odd Løvhaugen

Ronald Quan

Butrus Thomas Khuri-Yakub

Paul Merritt Hagelin

Michel J Digonnet

Matthieu Lacolle

Lars Eng

Mehmet Fatih Yanik

Reinhold H Dauskardt

Richard S Muller

Dag Thorstein Wang

Meng-Hsiung Kiang

Kam Y Lau

Stig Morten Borch

Håkon Sagberg

John I Thackara

Adela Ben-Yakar

Xiaojing Zhang

Il Woong Jung

Shrestha Basu Mallick

Omer Oralkan

Thomas E Carver

Jon Olav Grepstad

Henrik Rogne

Michel Jf Digonnet

Hakon Sagberg

Kyoungsik Yu

Ruslan Belikov

Nina Vaidya

Joseph Russell Landry

Stephen S Hamann

Ryosuke Itoh

Manish J Butte

Behrad Habib Afshar

Tianbo Liu

Jae Eun Hwang

Hyejun Ra

Yuki Ashida

Christopher L Hoy

Odd Lovhaugen

Stephen Sanborn Hamann

Daesung Lee

Jen-Shiang Wang

Kimberly T Cornett

Jae-Woong Jeong

Kebin Li

Paul Cristman

Jonathan T C Liu

Kristen Judith Boucher Anand

Catherine Jan

Antonio A Gellineau

Karthik Vijayraghavan

Andrew Y J Wang

Chia Ming Chang

Xuan Wu

Bryan Sun Park

Sandra Manosalvas-Kjono

Wonuk Jo

Aasmund Sudbo

Sanja Hadzialic

Zhanghao Sun

Ali Fatih Sarioglu

Henrik Persson

Aasmund Sudboe

Michel JF Digonnet

Kino Gordon S S

Optical systems including Microelectromechanical System devices (MEMS) phased-arrays and methods for operating the same to improve contrast are provided. Generally, the system includes a light source, illumination optics, and MEMS phased-arrays operable to receive a light-beam from the illumination optics and to project light onto a far-field scene and to steer an area of illumination over the far-field scene by modulating phases of at least some light of the light-beam received from the illumination optics. The illumination optics are operable to illuminate the MEMS-phased arrays with a light-beam having a Gaussian-profile to minimize side-lobes with respect to a main-lobe in an emission profile of light reflected from the far field scene in response to the projected light. In some embodiments the system is or is included in a Light Detection and Ranging system.

High contrast MEMS phased-array

Microelectromechanical systems based spatial light modulators (SLMs), and display systems and methods for operating the same are described. Generally, the SLM includes a linear array of a number of electrostatically deflectable ribbons suspended over a surface of a substrate. Each ribbon includes a split-ribbon portion with a plurality of diffractors, each diffractor including a first light reflective surface on a linear portion of the split-ribbon portion and an opening through which a second light reflective surface affixed to the substrate is exposed. The first light reflective surface and the second light reflective surface have equal areas, and when one or more of the ribbons is deflected towards the surface of the substrate a coherent light reflected from the first light reflective surface is brought into constructive or destructive interference with light reflected from the second light reflective surface. The display system can include a projector or a head mounted unit.

High contrast spatial light modulator

An optical scanner including micro-electromechanical system phased-arrays suitable for use in a LiDAR system, and methods of operating the same are described. Generally, the scanner includes an optical transmitter having first phased-arrays to receive light from a light source, form a swath of illumination in a far field scene and to modulate phases of the light to sweep or steer the swath over the scene in two-dimensions (2D). An optical receiver in the scanner includes second phased-arrays to receive light from the far field scene and direct at least some of the light onto a detector. The second phased-arrays are configured to de-scan the received light by directing light reflected from the far field scene onto the detector while rejecting background light. In one embodiment the second phased-arrays direct light from a slice of the far field scene onto a 1D detector array.

MEMs phased-array for LiDAR applications

An optical system including a dual-layer microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, and methods of fabricating and operating the same are disclosed. Generally, the MEMS device includes a substrate having an upper surface; a top modulating layer including a number of light modulating micro-ribbons, each micro-ribbon supported above and separated from the upper surface of the substrate by spring structures in at least one lower actuating layer; and a mechanism for moving one or more of the micro-ribbons relative to the upper surface and/or each other. The spring structures are operable to enable the light modulating micro-ribbons to move continuously and vertically relative to the upper surface of the substrate while maintaining the micro-ribbons substantially parallel to one another and the upper surface of the substrate. The micro-ribbons can be reflective, transmissive, partially reflective/transmissive, and the device is operable to modulate a phase and/or amplitude of light incident thereon.

Dual-layer micro-ribbon MEMS light modulator

An axially swept light sheet fluorescence microscope has illumination optics capable scanning the focus region of a line beam along an illumination optical axis to illuminate a light sheet in a sample plane, and detection optics capable of collecting fluorescence light from the sample plane and imaging the collected light on a light detector with a rolling shutter. A microcontroller synchronizes the rolling shutter with the scanning of the focus region. The illumination optics performs the axial scanning using a linear phased array of independently controllable electrostatically driven optical elements controlled by the microcontroller.

Rapid axial scanning for light sheet microscopy using a phased array

Aspects are directed to a MEMS device configurable to receive signals from a first, a second, a third, and a fourth signal source operating at a first, a second, a third, and a fourth frequency, respectively. The MEMS device may be configured to combine the first signal with the second signal generating a first combined signal, and to combine the third signal with the fourth signal generating a second combined signal. The first combined signal may be coupled to the first terminal of the MEMS device while the second combined signal may be coupled to the second terminal of the MEMS device. The first common terminal may be configured to produce an output associated with the second and fourth frequencies. The MEMS device may be further configured to derive from the produced output a signal indicative of nonlinearities or of changes in capacitance related to the MEMS device.

Method and apparatus for evaluating electrostatic or nonlinear devices

A patterned line of optical radiation can be steered in the other two directions (e.g., line patterned in y, steered in x and z) with a 1-D phase shifter array in a Fourier optics configuration. Preferably the patterned line is provided by forming a line focus and modulating it with an array of grating light valve devices in an amplitude modulation configuration. Phase modulation is preferably provided with an array of grating light valve devices in a phase modulation configuration.

High speed random access variable focusing and steering of a patterned line

A fabrication process includes: 1) forming an object by 3D printing; 2) smoothing the object by applying a gel to the object to coat at least a portion of the object with a film of the gel; 3) subjecting the object coated with the film to vacuum; and 4) curing the film to yield the object coated with the cured film.

Device fabrication using 3D printing

A sensor is provided. The sensor includes at least one optical waveguide and an optical reflector. The optical reflector is optically coupled to the at least one optical waveguide and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to reflect a first portion of light back to the at least one optical waveguide. The second portion is configured to reflect a second portion of light back to the at least one optical waveguide. The reflected second portion of the light differs in phase from the reflected first portion of the light by a phase difference that is not substantially equal to an integer multiple of &#x3c0; when the second portion of the optical reflector is in an equilibrium position in absence of the perturbation.

Phase-front-modulation sensor

A system, including a structured illumination stage to provide a spatially modulated imaging field is provided. The system further includes a spatial frequency modulation stage to adjust the frequency of the spatially modulated imaging field, a sample interface stage to direct the spatially modulated imaging field to a sample, and a sensor configured to receive a plurality of fluorescence emission signals from the sample. The system also includes a processor configured to reduce a sample scattering signal and to provide a fluorescence emission signal from a portion of the sample including the spatially modulated imaging field. A method for using the above system to form an image of the sample is also provided.

Structured illumination in inverted light sheet microscopy

Improved image quality by structured illumination or pivoting illumination and faster image acquisition are both achieved. A line light enters first to fifth virtual pixels of a grating light valve, and first to fifth lights are emitted respectively from the first to fifth virtual pixels. The intensities and phases of the first to fifth 0th-order lights respectively depend on the arrangements of sub-pixels included in the first to fifth virtual pixels. The first to n-th 0th-order lights are extracted respectively from the first to n-th lights, and the first to n-th 0th-order lights are converted respectively into first to fifth light sheets. The first to fifth light sheets are created at a portion to be illuminated. The arrangements of the sub-pixels included in the first to fifth pixels are controlled such that a structured light sheet or pivoting light sheet is created at the portion to be illuminated.

Converter, illuminator, and light sheet fluorescence microscope

Aspects of the present invention are directed to apparatuses, arrangements, systems and methods for collecting information using one or more modalities. As consistent with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes first and second scanning mirror arrangements having different scanning axes and respectively facing different directions. The first scanning mirror arrangement directs source light and image light in two paths, and the second scanning mirror arrangement directs image light from a target to the first scanning mirror arrangement. The first and second scanning mirror arrangements cooperatively scan source light from the first scanning mirror and via the second scanning mirror to target locations with at least two degrees of freedom, and direct image light from the target locations.

Confocal microscope, system and method therefor

A sensor is provided, with the sensor including a reflective element and an optical fiber positioned relative to the reflective element such that light emitted from the optical fiber is reflected by the reflective element and propagates in an optical cavity between the optical fiber and the reflective element. A first material is within the optical cavity and has a coefficient of thermal expansion and a thickness that compensate a refractive index change with temperature of a second material within the optical cavity.

Optical-fiber-compatible sensor

Various aspects as described herein are directed to apparatuses, methods, and systems including a sandwiched arrangement having a light-access port, a scanning mirror, an optics region, and a spacer. The spacer provides a light-directing optical region that separates the scanning mirror and the optics region, and includes a mirrored surface that reflects light between the light-access port and the optics region. Additionally, the optics region includes a curved-shaped window that provides a field of view by communicating beams of light between a target region. The optics region also includes a curved-shaped mirror having a surface that reflects light between the scanning mirror and the mirrored surface. Light beams, as conveyed between the light-access port and the curved-shaped window, are folded by being reflected off the scanning mirror, the curved-shaped mirror and the mirrored surface.

Arrayed dual axis confocal microscopes

An Axially Graded Index LEns (AGILE) is provided. Such optical elements can provide optical concentration in excess of the free-space brightness theorem limit, because of the increased refractive index at the output of the concentrator compared to the input. Optical contact (i.e., no intervening low index material) between the AGILE and the absorbing element (or an optical source) can be employed to ensure no loss of brightness at the interface between the AGILE and the absorbing element (or source). Although solar cell concentration is a significant application of this technology, there are various other applications, such as increasing the efficiency of optical emission, and providing transmissive optical windows that include optically cloaked regions.

Longitudinally graded index lens

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

Olav Solgaard