Abstract:
A first electro-optic crystal substrate and a second electro-optic crystal substrate are provided as an electro-optic crystal substrate. The first electro-optic crystal substrate comprises a first periodic polarization reversal structure in which first polarization pairs, in each of which the directions of polarization in response to electric fields are opposite to each other, are arranged in a first period along a first arrangement direction which is orthogonal or inclined with respect to the direction of propagation, and light passes through the first periodic polarization reversal structure. The second electro-optic crystal substrate comprises a second periodic polarization reversal structure in which second polarization pairs, in each of which the directions of polarization in response to electric fields are opposite to each other, are arranged in a second period along a second arrangement direction which is orthogonal or inclined with respect to the direction of propagation, and light outstanding from the first electro-optic crystal substrate passes through the second periodic polarization reversal structure. At least one of a first condition and a second condition is satisfied. The first condition is that the first and the second periods are different from each other and a second condition is that the first arrangement direction and the second arrangement direction are different from each other.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an optical device (100) for performing nonlinear optical processes, allowing especially broadband optical parametric amplification or frequency conversion, wherein one or more of several input beams exhibit angular dispersion and the angular dispersive element (105) of said optical device (100) is in direct optical contact with the nonlinear medium (107). The device according to the invention allows the construction of high efficiency, compact amplifiers and frequency converters with ultrahigh broadband that can be scaled for large beam sizes and high powers as well.
Abstract:
An optical device characterized by comprising a light transmissive plate-shaped light guide (154) for guiding light incident from an end surface, an optical control layer (150) provided on a lower surface of said plate-shaped light guide through a transparent electrode (151) provided as a first electrode, a reflection film (152) provided on a lower surface of said optical control layer, a second electrode (153) provided on a lower surface of said reflection film, and a substrate (155) provided on a lower surface of said second electrode, wherein said optical control layer changes in scattering degree or diffraction efficiency by an electric field applied by said first electrode and said second electrode.
Abstract:
An optical device characterized by comprising a light transmissive plate-shaped light guide (63) for guiding light incident from an end surface, an optical control layer (60) provided on a lower surface of said plate-shaped light guide through a transparent electrode (61) provided as a first electrode, and a reflection plate (64) made of a light transmissive plate provided on a lower surface of said optical control layer through a second electrode (62) characterized by comprising said transparent electrode, wherein said optical control layer is selected from the group consisting of liquid crystal particles dispersed in a polymer resin area, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal comprising polymer resin particles dispersed in a liquid crystal, and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal in which a respective polymer resin area and a liquid crystal area are continuous, wherein said liquid crystal has a structure periodically distributed in the form of a diffraction grating, and wherein said optical control layer is made of a reverse mode holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal which is constructed by dispersing a low molecular-weight liquid crystal in a liquid crystalline polymer, and changes in scattering degree or diffraction efficiency field applied by said first electrode and said second electrode so that said optical control layer becomes a uniform birefringent thin film in the absence of any applied electric field, while said optical control layer becomes said diffraction grating for functioning as a hologram when an electric field is applied.
Abstract:
An optical device characterized by comprising a light transmissive plate-shaped light guide (63) for guiding light incident from an end surface, an optical control layer (60) provided on a lower surface of said plate-shaped light guide through a transparent electrode (61) provided as a first electrode, and a reflection plate (64) made of a light transmissive plate provided on a lower surface of said optical control layer through a second electrode (62) characterized by comprising said transparent electrode, wherein said optical control layer is selected from the group consisting of liquid crystal particles dispersed in a polymer resin area, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal comprising polymer resin particles dispersed in a liquid crystal, and a polymer dispersed liquid crystal in which a respective polymer resin area and a liquid crystal area are continuous, wherein said liquid crystal has a structure periodically distributed in the form of a diffraction grating, and wherein said optical control layer is made of a reverse mode holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal which is constructed by dispersing a low molecular-weight liquid crystal in a liquid crystalline polymer, and changes in scattering degree or diffraction efficiency field applied by said first electrode and said second electrode so that said optical control layer becomes a uniform birefringent thin film in the absence of any applied electric field, while said optical control layer becomes said diffraction grating for functioning as a hologram when an electric field is applied.
Abstract:
An optical switching element includes a resonant reflection element (11) and a driving unit (12, 14). The resonant reflection element (11) has a thickness portion functioning as a waveguide layer, with one surface in a thickness direction functioning as a total reflection surface and the other surface having formed thereon a fine periodic structure with fine asperities, the resonant reflection element resonant-reflecting light that is incident from the other surface and has a specific wavelength component. The driving unit (12, 14) varies a resonant wavelength of resonant refection by varying at least one of a shape and a refractive index of the resonant reflection element (11).
Abstract:
A beam steering system directs a beam of optical energy to a selected one of the first gratings along a selected one of the plurality of input directions for the selected one of first gratings, selected to provide a corresponding one of output directions from the first gratings to be substantially equal to a selected one of the plurality of input directions for a selected one of second gratings, thereby providing a selectable set of beam output directions.