Polarization converter for converting unpolarized light to linearly polarized light

• Main Authors: MAENO; KEIICHI, SUZUKI; TETSUJI, TATSUMI; FUJIKO, NEGISHI; ICHIRO, TAKANASHI; ITSUO, NAKAGAKI; SHINTARO, TAKAHASHI; RYUSAKU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.11.1992
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; 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 COMPUTING DEVICES; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

There is provided a polarization converter for producing a beam of linearly polarized light from a randomly polarized light. The randomly polarized light is separated into a first polarized light which is projected in a first predetermined direction and a second polarized light having a predetermined angular relationship with the first polarized light. The second polarized light is converted into a third polarized light a polarization of which is identical to that of the first polarized light. By providing a predetermined two-dimensional positional relationship between the first and third polarized lights, the beam of linearly polarized light is produced and advanced on the outside of the converter in a second predetermined direction.