A diffractive display for displaying multiple images, each at a unique view zone, includes multiple micro-pixels, each having micro-facets, each micro-facet having a surface normal non-parallel to the surface normal of other micro-facets of the micro-pixel, each micro-facet having a diffractive nano-structure array. Each diffractive nano-structure array has a viewing angle at which incident light is diffracted from the diffractive nano-structure array. The diffracted light has a hue and an intensity based on properties of the diffractive nano-structure array, and, for each of the images, each of the micro-pixels includes at least one diffractive nano-structure array for which the viewing angle corresponds to the view zone the image, such that each of the images is composed of the diffracted light from at least one diffractive nano-structure array from each of the micro-pixels.
The present disclosure provides a diffractive display for displaying a diffracted image, an article, comprising the diffractive display, and methods of forming a display for displaying a diffracted image.
A diffractive display for displaying images displayed at a view zone, the images including a plurality of micro-pixels comprising a plurality of microfacets, each micro facet having a surface normal that is non-parallel to the surface normal of the other microfacets of the pixel and having at least one diffractive nano-structure array, each array having a viewing angle based on an angle of the surface normal of the micro-facet on which the array is provided and an azimuthal angle and a polar angle of the fundamental order of diffraction of the array and at which incident light is diffracted from the array, and wherein, for each image, each micro-pixel includes at least one array for which the viewing angle corresponds to the view zone the image, such that each image is composed of the diffracted light from at least one array from each micro- pixel.
G02B 30/29 - Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer’s left and right eyes of the autostereoscopic type involving lenticular arrays characterised by the geometry of the lenticular array, e.g. slanted arrays, irregular arrays or arrays of varying shape or size
Described are optical elements or displays using micro-structures and nano-structures formed conformally thereon that operate to generate optical effects. Such elements and displays may be useful for applications such as displays, and anti- counterfeiting.
A method to remove selected parts of a thin-film material otherwise uniformly deposited over a template is disclosed. The methods rely on a suitable potting material to encapsulate and snatch the deposited material on apexes of the template. The process may yield one and/or two devices during a single process step: (i) thin-film material(s) with micro- and/or nano-perforations defined by the shape of template apexes, and (ii) micro- and/or nano-particles shaped and positioned in the potting material by the design of the template apexes. The devices made from this method may find applications in fabrication of mechanical, chemical, electrical and optical devices.
A security device with multiple layers. A substrate provides the backing to a first luminescent layer. An optically variable structure is positioned between the first luminescent layer and a second luminescent layer. Both the first and second luminescent layers emit luminescent radiation when stimulated. When the first layer is stimulated, the optically variable structure filters the emitted luminescent radiation such that the emitted luminescent radiation only escapes the optically variable structure at a predetermined range of emission angles. A user, when viewing the security device from the predetermined range of angles as both layers are stimulated, can see a completed image of a predetermined indicia. When the security device is viewed at angles other than the predetermined range of angles as both layers are stimulated, a user will only see an incomplete image of the predetermined indicia.
An ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) capacitor is disclosed which includes a thin single layer non-hydrated ionic polymer sub-strate with conductive film electrodes applied to at least a portion of each side of the non-hydrated ionic polymer substrate. The disclosed capacitor is suited for providing thin capacitance structures made to substantially any desired dimensions and shape and may be particularly suited for short term power storage in low power electronics, sen-sors, micro-electronics, MEMs and high tempera-ture applications. A method of manufacturing an IPMC capacitor is also disclosed including pro-viding a thin single layer non-hydrated ionic polymer substrate, applying a conductive film electrode to both sides of the substrate, and at-taching electrical connections to the electrodes. The disclosed method of manufacture may op-tionally also include heat curing the capacitor and coating the capacitor with at least one moisture--resistant protective coating layer.
Security documents, such as passports, bank notes and credit cards, often incorporate security devices that are difficult to replicate by conventional printing or copying techniques. Disclosed herein are security devices and methods for their production. In selected embodiments, the security devices may be used with polymer core materials in such a way that they simulate the appearance of known security devices more traditionally used with paper or other core materials.
A display media including a pixel layer containing subpixels for different optical bands composed of nano-scale structures and an intensity control layer that can pattern the luminance of the subpixels. The display media includes a substrate layer, a sub-wavelength substrate supported by the substrate layer and including subpixels, each subpixel defined by at least one sub-wavelength structure having at least one specific optical property including a specific optical band, at least two of the subpixels having a different specific optical property, and an intensity control layer to individually control an amount of luminance of each individual subpixel in a pattern. Some of the subpixels may have colors that define a color space, while some other subpixels may have an invisible radiation spectrum band. For example, the display media can allow both overt information (color images) and covert information to be embedded together with high density.
G02F 1/01 - Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulatingNon-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour
13.
NANOSTRUCTURE ARRAY DIFFRACTIVE OPTICS FOR MOTION AND ANIMATION DISPLAY
A motion and animation display is disclosed, including multiple nanostructure arrays oriented at differing relative angles of rotation corresponding to multiple frames of an animation image, wherein the multiple nanostructure arrays are formed on a single substrate layer. An optical display device is also disclosed, including a substrate having a surface, a first frame of an animated image comprising a first optical sub-wavelength nanostructure array formed on or in the surface of the substrate, and a second frame of an animated image comprising a second optical sub-wavelength nanostructure array formed on or in the surface of the substrate, where the second nanostructure array is rotated relative to the first nanostructure array by a first relative angle of rotation. A method of manufacturing a motion and animation display comprising multiple nanostructure arrays oriented at differing relative angles of rotation is also disclosed.
An RGB and/or CMYK full color optical display device comprising multiple nanostructure arrays configured to provide display of a wide range of colors corresponding to multiple pixels or sub-regions of an image is disclosed, where the multiple nanostructure arrays may be formed on a single substrate layer. An optical display device includes a substrate having a surface, and a first pixel of a color image comprising first and second sub-pixels according to at least one of an additive and subtractive color scheme, where the first sub-pixel comprises a first optical sub-wavelength nanostructure array formed on or in the surface of the substrate, and where the second sub-pixel comprises a second optical sub-wavelength nanostructure array formed on or in the surface of the substrate. A method of manufacturing an RGB and/or CMYK full color optical display comprising multiple nanostructure arrays arranged as sub-pixels according to a color scheme is also disclosed.
Methods for rapidly fabricating color image display for any given color image from a prefabricated generic stamp comprising arrays of structural pixels. The pixels are composed of micro-gratings and/or sub-wavelength structures that give structural colors. Different methods based on micro-patterning techniques may be used to fabricate the color image display devices, including: 1) selectively masking the generic stamp and imprinting from the masked stamp; 2) imprinting from the generic stamp and thermal-optical patterning on an imprinted layer. The fabricated color image display device can further function as a stand-alone display device or a color image stamp for replicating multiple color image display devices.
G03F 7/00 - Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printed surfacesMaterials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresistsApparatus specially adapted therefor
G06K 19/06 - Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
G09F 3/03 - Forms or constructions of security seals
16.
COLOR IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICES COMPRISING STRUCTURAL COLOR PIXELS THAT ARE SELECTIVELY ACTIVATED AND/OR DEACTIVATED BY MATERIAL DEPOSITION
A color image display device comprising arrays of structural color pixels, where said structural color pixels may be formed on a single substrate layer or multiple substrate layers and are patterned by selective material deposition to display a color image in accordance with input color images or patterns. The structural color pixels comprise a plurality of microstructures and/or nanostructures, including without limitation, diffraction gratings, sub-wavelength structures, to display colors in red, green, blue in RGB color space or cyan, magenta, yellow in CMY color space. Examples include methods of activating and/or deactivating structural pixels using selective material deposition onto at least one layer of the color display device to form a color image. Further examples include product labels, authentication devices and security documents carrying customized or personalized information and methods for their manufacture.
G09F 3/00 - Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication meansSealsPostage or like stamps
G09F 9/30 - Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
G09F 19/12 - Advertising or display means not otherwise provided for using special optical effects
17.
METHODS FOR MICRO AND NANO FABRICATION BY SELECTIVE TEMPLATE REMOVAL
A method to remove selected parts of a thin-film material otherwise uniformly deposited over a template is disclosed. The methods rely on a suitable potting material to encapsulate and snatch the deposited material on apexes of
the template. The process may yield one and/or two devices during a single process step: (i) thin-film material(s) with micro- and/or nano-perforations defined by the shape of template apexes, and (ii) micro- and/or nano-particles shaped and positioned in the potting material by the design of the template apexes. The devices made from this method may find applications in fabrication of mechanical, chemical, electrical and optical devices.
A diffractive display for displaying images displayed at a view zone, the images including a plurality of micro-pixels comprising a plurality of microfacets, each micro facet having a surface normal that is non-parallel to the surface normal of the other microfacets of the pixel and having at least one diffractive nano-structure array, each array having a viewing angle based on an angle of the surface normal of the micro-facet on which the array is provided and an azimuthal angle and a polar angle of the fundamental order of diffraction of the array and at which incident light is diffracted from the array, and wherein, for each image, each micro-pixel includes at least one array for which the viewing angle corresponds to the view zone the image, such that each image is composed of the diffracted light from at least one array from each micro- pixel.
G02B 30/29 - Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer’s left and right eyes of the autostereoscopic type involving lenticular arrays characterised by the geometry of the lenticular array, e.g. slanted arrays, irregular arrays or arrays of varying shape or size
A security device for authenticating bank notes, documents and other items, comprises a luminescent material for producing luminescent radiation of first and second wavelengths. The security device includes an optically variable structure for controlling emission of luminescent radiation of at least one of the first and second wavelengths from the security device, the se-curity device being arranged to permit, from an area of the optically variable structure, emission of luminescence of the first and second wavelengths from the security device. The optically variable structure causes the relative emissivity of the security device for luminescent radiation of the first and second wavelengths to change with a change m emission angle, so that the security de-vice produces an angle-dependent colour shift m the emitted luminescent radiation. The optically variable structure may comprise an optical interference stack that controls transmission of luminescent radiation therethrough in response to the wavelength of lu-minescent radiation.
B42D 25/21 - Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security featuresManufacture thereof characterised by a particular use or purpose for multiple purposes
B42D 25/30 - Identification or security features, e.g. for preventing forgery
B42D 25/36 - Identification or security features, e.g. for preventing forgery comprising special materials
A security document is disclosed which includes an electrical circuit embedded in a document substrate, where the electrical circuit includes a power source with at least one electroactive polymer power generator, and an optical display including at least one electroluminescent display element and at least one nanohole array which forms a layer of the electroluminescent dis-play element. Security features comprising nanohole arrays are also provided. A method of authenticating a security document is disclosed, including illuminating an encoded nanohole array in the security document with a focused light beam or laser light source emitting at least one defined wavelength of incident light, detecting a transmitted portion of the incident light transmitted through the nanohole array with an optoelectronic sensor, analyzing at least one wavelength of the transmitted portion of light to produce a detected signal, and comparing the detected signal with an authentication signal to authenticate the security document.
G06K 19/07 - Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards with integrated circuit chips
G06K 19/14 - Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code using markings of different kinds in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards the marking being sensed by radiation
21.
OPTICALLY VARIABLE DEVICES, THEIR PRODUCTION AND USE
Security documents often incorporate optically variable devices to prevent or hinder counterfeiters. Disclosed herein are layered optically variable devices such as colour-shift foils that employ a piezoelectric layer, and methods for their production and use. Such devices afford new techniques for a user of a security document to check quickly and easily whether the security document is a legitimate document or a counterfeit copy by placing an electrical potential difference across the security document.
B32B 33/00 - Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatingsLayered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class
Methods of fabricating nano-structures on a substrate surface are provided including the use of small initial pilot nano-structures patterned in a writing layer which are enlarged upon transfer to a pattern transfer layer among process layers applied to the substrate material, before removal of the writing layer to reveal the enlarged nano-structures. Enlarged nano-structures are transferred to the substrate by etch techniques to produce desired final enlarged nano-structures in the substrate surface. Raised out of plane and etched-in-plane nano-structures may be produced. Multiple geometries, configurations and spacings of 2D (such as in-plane nano-structures) and/or 3D (such as out of plane nano-structures) nano-structures and/or grids or arrays thereof may be fabricated on a surface of a substrate according to a single fabrication process.
Disclosed herein are optical devices, suitable for use as authentication devices for security items and documents including banknotes. The devices are generally static and yet in some embodiments have perceived dynamic optical properties due to their apparent capacity to cause output luminescent radiation to "flash" as the devices are progressively tilted relative to a user or detector of the emitted luminescent radiation. Also disclosed are items and documents comprising such devices, methods for manufacture and use of the devices, and authentication devices suitable to check whether the disclosed authentication device are legitimate or counterfeit.
G02F 1/23 - Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulatingNon-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour for the control of the colour
G02F 1/29 - Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulatingNon-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
G07D 7/12 - Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
A security device with multiple layers. A substrate provides the backing to a first luminescent layer. An optically variable structure is positioned between the first luminescent layer and a second luminescent layer. Both the first and second luminescent layers emit luminescent radiation when stimulated. When the first layer is stimulated, the optically variable structure filters the emitted luminescent radiation such that the emitted luminescent radiation only escapes the optically variable structure at a predetermined range of emission angles. A user, when viewing the security device from the predetermined range of angles as both layers are stimulated, can see a completed image of a predetermined indicia. When the security device is viewed at angles other than the predetermined range of angles as both layers are stimulated, a user will only see an incomplete image of the predetermined indicia.
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