Optical modulator, visible light source module, optical engine, image display device, xr glasses, and method for controlling optical modulator

An optical modulator for an image display device that displays an image on an image display surface by scanning a combined light of a plurality of color laser beams pixel by pixel at a predetermined time step,

• a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units, each of which has a Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide formed of a ridge formed in a ferroelectric thin film represented by the chemical formula ABX3 and an electrode for applying an electric field to the Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide;
• a power supply for applying a pixel voltage to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units independently;
• a control unit configured to control the power supply, wherein
• the control unit comprises an integrating circuit capable of calculating an integrated value of the pixel voltages applied to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units,
• the control unit is configured to control the power supply so as to continuously apply the pixel voltage at a predetermined applied voltage width to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units independently;
• the control unit is configured to further control the power supply to apply a shift voltage that shifts an applied voltage width to a position symmetrical with respect to an extreme value of optical output in a modulation curve of each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units at a timing when an integrated value of the pixel voltage integrated by the integrating circuit reaches a predetermined value for any of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units.

A method for controlling an optical modulator for an image display device that displays an image on an image display surface by scanning a combined light of a plurality of colored laser beams pixel by pixel at a predetermined time step, the method comprising the steps of:

• using an optical modulator including a plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units, a power supply for applying a pixel voltage to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units independently, and a control unit that is configured to control the power supply and includes an integrating circuit capable of calculating an integrated value of the pixel voltages applied to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units,
• controlling the power supply by the controlling unit, so as to continuously apply the pixel voltage at a predetermined applied voltage width to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units independently, and to further control the power supply to apply a shift voltage that shifts an applied voltage width to a position symmetrical with respect to an extreme value of optical output in a modulation curve of each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units to each of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units at a timing when an integrated value of the pixel voltage integrated by the integrating circuit reaches a predetermined value for any of the plurality of Mach-Zehnder optical modulation units.