OPTICAL MODULATING ELEMENT

• Main Authors: MINOURA KAZUO, USUI MASAYUKI, BABA TAKESHI, SOMEYA ATSUSHI, MATSUOKA KAZUHIKO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.11.1984
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USINGWAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FORPROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; CINEMATOGRAPHY; 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; ELECTROGRAPHY; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; HOLOGRAPHY; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

PURPOSE:To form a good temperature contrast in a medium by improving a reflection factor by using a part by which an illuminating luminous flux is reflected, as a common conductive reflecting film of each resistor, and also placing the conductive film between the resistor being a heating element and the medium. CONSTITUTION:Each independent electrode 12a-12d exposes its upper part and is embedded in an insulator 15 so as to become a protective layer of each electrode. An insulator 14 is formed on the upper part of the insulator 15, and in this insulator 14, resistors 11a-11d which becomes heaters (heating elements) expose the upper part and the lower part and are embedded. A metallic film 13 being a conductive reflecting film, which contacts with the upper face of the resistors 11a-11d and becomes a common electrode is formed on the upper face of the insulator 14. Also, a medium 16 whose refractive index has a temperature dependability is formed so as to cover the metallic film 13. A luminous flux which is made incident to the medium is modulated by selecting one of the resistors, heating the resistor by applying a voltage signal, and making a refractive index in the medium ununiform. A utilization factor of light is improved by the common conductive reflecting film, and an S/N ratio is improved by a flat reflecting surface.