Optical element

An optical element comprising:

• a container including a first end face wall and a second end face wall facing each other, and forming a chamber provided between the first end face wall and the second end face wall;
• a first liquid enclosed in the chamber;
• a second liquid immiscible with the first liquid and enclosed in the chamber;
• a first electrode;
• a second electrode;
• an insulating film;
• and
• a film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability to the first liquid;
• wherein, the shape of an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid is changed by the application of the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a light transmission path, the center of which is a single virtual axis passing through the first end face wall and the second end face wall, is formed in a portion of the second liquid,
• the second electrode is provided at an inner surface of the second end face wall, the inner surface facing the chamber,
• the insulating film being provided on a surface of the second electrode, the surface facing the chamber,
• the film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability to the first liquid is provided on surface of the insulating film, the surface facing the chamber, and
• when viewed along the virtual axis, an opening having a diameter the same as or smaller than the maximum diameter of the transmission path, the center of which is the virtual axis, is provided in the film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability of the first liquid.

An optical element comprising:

• a container including a first end face wall and a second end face wall facing each other, and forming a chamber provided between the first end face wall and the second end face wall;
• a first liquid enclosed in the chamber;
• a second liquid immiscible with the first liquid and enclosed in the chamber;
• a first electrode;
• a second electrode;
• an insulating film;
• and
• a film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability to the first liquid;
• wherein, the shape of an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid is changed by the application of the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a light transmission path, the center of which is a single virtual axis passing through the first end face wall and the second end face wall, is formed,
• the second electrode is provided at an inner surface of the second end face wall, the inner surface facing the chamber,
• the insulating film being provided on a surface of the second electrode, the surface facing the chamber,
• the film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability to the first liquid is provided on surface of the insulating film, the surface facing the chamber, and
• when viewed along the virtual axis, an opening having a diameter the same as or smaller than the maximum diameter of the interface, the center of which is the virtual axis, is provided in the film whose wettability to the second liquid is higher than the wettability to the first liquid.