Optical element and manufacturing method thereof

An optical element consisting of a set of a plurality of three-dimensional cells, wherein:

• a specific amplitude and a specific phase are defined in each individual cell;
• each cell has a convex part formed by protruding a part having an area corresponding to the specific amplitude by a height corresponding to the specific phase;
• and
• said individual cell has a specific optical property so that, when incident light is provided to the cell, emission light is obtained by changing an amplitude and a phase of the incident light in accordance with the specific amplitude and the specific phase defined in the cell.

A method for manufacturing an optical element where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image, wherein a plurality of point light sources are defined on the object image, and object light of a spherical wave having a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined phase is regarded as being emitted from each point light source, and a totaled complex amplitude of the object light from the point light sources at a position of each representative point is calculated at a predetermined standard time;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, when predetermined incident light is given to each physical cell, replacement is carried out by each physical cell having a specific optical property so as to obtain emission light that has changed an amplitude and a phase of the incident light in accordance with a specific amplitude and a specific phase defined in the virtual cell corresponding to the physical cell.

A method for manufacturing an optical element, where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, each virtual cell is replaced with a physical cell having a concave part formed by hollowing a part having an area corresponding to the specific amplitude by a depth corresponding to the specific phase.

A method for manufacturing an optical element where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, each virtual cell is replaced with a physical cell having a convex part formed by protruding a part having an area corresponding to the specific amplitude by a height corresponding to the specific phase.

A method for manufacturing an optical element, where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, when predetermined incident light is given to each physical cell, replacement is carried out by each physical cell having a specific optical property so as to obtain emission light that has changed an amplitude and a phase of the incident light in accordance with a specific amplitude and a specific phase defined in the virtual cell corresponding to the physical cell;
• said method further comprising a phase-correcting step of correcting the specific phase defined for each virtual cell in consideration of a direction of illumination light projected when reconstructed.

A method for manufacturing an optical element, where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, when predetermined incident light is given to each physical cell, replacement is carried out by each physical cell having a specific optical property so as to obtain emission light that has changed an amplitude and a phase of the incident light in accordance with a specific amplitude and a specific phase defined in the virtual cell corresponding to the physical cell;
• said method further comprising a phase-correcting step of correcting the specific phase defined for each virtual cell in consideration of a position of a viewing point when reconstructed.

A method for manufacturing an optical element, where a predetermined object image is recorded, the method comprising:

• a cell defining step of defining a set of a plurality of three-dimensional virtual cells;
• a representative-point defining step of defining a representative point for each virtual cell;
• an object image defining step of defining an object image to be recorded;
• an amplitude and phase defining step of defining a specific amplitude and a specific phase in each virtual cell by calculating a complex amplitude at a position of each representative point of object light emitted from the object image;
• and
• a physical cell forming step of replacing each virtual cell with a real physical cell and forming an optical element that consists of a set of three-dimensional physical cells;
• wherein, at the physical cell forming step, when predetermined incident light is given to each physical cell, replacement is carried out by each physical cell having a specific optical property so as to obtain emission light that has changed an amplitude and a phase of the incident light in accordance with a specific amplitude and a specific phase defined in the virtual cell corresponding to the physical cell;
• at the cell defining step, a cell set of virtual cells arranged on a two-dimensional matrix is defined by arranging the virtual cells horizontally and vertically,
• at the amplitude phase defining step, a plurality of M point light source rows that are each extended in a horizontal direction and are mutually disposed in a vertical direction are defined on an object image, and M groups in total are defined by defining virtual cells that belong to a plurality of rows contiguous in the vertical direction in the two-dimensional matrix as one group,
• the M point light source rows and the M groups are caused to correspond to each other in accordance with an arrangement order relative to the vertical direction, and
• a totaled complex amplitude at a position of each representative point is calculated on a supposition that object light emitted from a point light source in an m-th point light source row (m=1 to M) reaches only virtual cells that belongs to an m-th group.