OPTICAL MODULE, LIGHT OBSERVATION DEVICE, AND LIGHT IRRADIATION DEVICE

• Main Author: INOUE TAKU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 27.10.2014
• 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 ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize an optical system as a whole in an optical module in which a plurality of SLMs (space light modulators) are optically arranged in series.SOLUTION: An optical module 1A includes: a polarizing beam splitter 10 that receives incident light L1 including a p-polarization component on an optical branch face 11; a first polarizing element 20 that rotates a polarization plane of the incident light L1 transmitted through the optical branch face 11; a first reflective SLM 30 that modulates the incident light L1 to generate first modulation light L2; a second polarizing element 40 that rotates a polarization plane of the first modulation light L2 that is again transmitted through the first polarizing element 20 and reflected on the optical branch face 11; and a second reflective SLM 50 that modulates the first modulation light L2 to generate second modulation light L3. The second modulation light L3, after again transmitted through the second polarizing element 40, is transmitted and output through the optical branch face 11. 【課題】複数のＳＬＭが光学的に直列に配置される光学モジュールにおいて、光学系全体の小型化を可能とする。【解決手段】光学モジュール１Ａは、ｐ偏光成分を含む入射光Ｌ１を光分岐面１１に受ける偏光ビームスプリッタ１０と、光分岐面１１を透過した入射光Ｌ１の偏光面を回転させる第１の偏光素子２０と、入射光Ｌ１を変調して第１の変調光Ｌ２を生成する第１の反射型ＳＬＭ３０と、第１の偏光素子２０を再び通過し、光分岐面１１において反射された第１の変調光Ｌ２の偏光面を回転させる第２の偏光素子４０と、第１の変調光Ｌ２を変調して第２の変調光Ｌ３を生成する第２の反射型ＳＬＭ５０とを備える。第２の変調光Ｌ３は、第２の偏光素子４０を再び通過した後、光分岐面１１を透過して出力される。【選択図】図１