US 12,379,619 B2
Optical modulator and optical modulator array
Yoshiro Nomoto, Hamamatsu (JP); and Takuo Tanemura, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., Hamamatsu (JP); and The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/029,461
Filed by HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., Hamamatsu (JP); and The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 6, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/037031
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 30, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/085455, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 28, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-175346 (JP), filed on Oct. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0367148 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G02F 1/065 (2006.01); G02B 1/00 (2006.01); G02B 1/11 (2015.01); G02B 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/065 (2013.01) [G02B 1/002 (2013.01); G02B 1/11 (2013.01); G02B 3/0043 (2013.01); G02F 2201/122 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light modulator comprising:
a base layer made of an insulating material having a transmitting property for object light being a modulation object and on which the object light is incident from a lower surface;
a conductive pattern layer made of a conductive material, including a plurality of pattern portions arranged periodically in a first direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the base layer, and formed on an upper surface of the base layer;
a modulation layer made of an electro-optic polymer, configured to fill a space between the plurality of pattern portions and formed on an upper surface of the conductive pattern layer with a predetermined thickness, and having a refractive index to be changed by applying an electric field using the conductive pattern layer; and
a reflection layer formed on an upper surface of the modulation layer and reflecting configured to reflect the object light being incident from the lower surface of the base layer and transmitted through the modulation layer toward the base layer, wherein
the object light having a phase modulated by being transmitted through the modulation layer, and reflected by the reflection layer is output from the lower surface of the base layer to the outside as modulated light.