MAGNETO-OPTICAL ELEMENT, OPTICAL MODULATOR, MAGNETO-OPTICAL CONTROL ELEMENT, AND IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE

• Main Authors: MORI TETSUJI, TAKAHASHI KEN, SAITO SHIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.12.2010
• Subjects: DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robust magneto-optical element capable of performing high-speed optical modulation and exhibiting a favorable S/N ratio, and a magneto-optical type optical modulator using the magneto-optical element. SOLUTION: The magneto-optical element is composed of a microstructure 2 including a magnetic material layer 11 formed on a substrate 8 and a precious metal material layer 12 layered on the magnetic material layer 11 with its circumference covered with an insulating material layer 14 except a contact part with the magnetic material layer 11. When the rotating direction of linearly polarized light incident by the change of a magnetic field applied to the microstructure 2 is varied, a magneto-optical effect by the magnetic material layer 11 is increased by an electric field enhancement effect of the plasmon in the precious metal material layer 12, and the linearly polarized light is rotated with high definition at high speed. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT