Surface plasmon optical modulator element
AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasayuki Naya, Yoshio Inagaki, Yoshihisa Usami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surface plasmon optical modulator element includes a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection, a metal film formed on the surface of the dielectric material block, a photo-functional film which is formed on the metal film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light, and a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film. The photo-functional film is formed of dye which contains an electron donor and an electron acceptor so that a photoelectron can be transferred therebetween.
Claims68
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising
- a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection,
- a silver film formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block,
- a photo-functional film which is formed on the silver film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light,
- an oxygen cut film which is transparent to the modulating light and is formed on the photo-functional film, and
- a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film.
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising
- a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection,
- a silver film formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block,
- an oxygen cut film formed on the silver film,
- a photo-functional film which is formed on the oxygen cut film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light, and
- a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film.
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising
- a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection,
- a silver film formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block,
- an oxygen cut photo-functional film which is formed on the silver film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light, and
- a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film.
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising
- a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection,
- a dielectric material layer which is formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block and is of a material lower than the dielectric material block in refractive index,
- a metal film formed on the dielectric material layer,
- a photo-functional film which is formed on the metal film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light, and
- a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film.
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection, a metal film formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block, a photo-functional film which is formed on the metal film and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light, and a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film, wherein the improvement comprises that said photo-functional film is formed of a compound comprising a plurality of molecules containing dye therein, wherein said dyes contain an electron donor and an electron acceptor so that photoelectrons can be transferred between said molecules without any change in the molecular structures thereof when exposed to light.
A surface plasmon optical modulator element comprising
- a dielectric material block disposed so that light-to-be-modulated travels through the interior of the dielectric material block and impinges upon one surface thereof at an angle of total reflection,
- a photo-functional film which is formed on said one surface of the dielectric material block and whose refractive index is changed upon exposure to light,
- a metal film formed on the photo-functional film, and
- a modulating light source which projects modulating light onto the photo-functional film through the dielectric material block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.