# US 9,001,411 B2 · Light control device and light control method

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- Number: US 9,001,411 B2
- Document ID: US9001411B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/871,396
- Filed: 2013-04-26
- Published: 2013-09-19
- Granted: 2015-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-25
- Assignees: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
- Applicants: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
- Inventors: Naoya Matsumoto; Taro Ando; Takashi Inoue; Yoshiyuki Ohtake
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9001411B2

## CPC

- G02B 26/06: for controlling the phase of light (G02B26/08 takes precedence {, measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00})
- G02B 21/086: {for transillumination only}
- G02B 26/0808: {by means of one or more diffracting elements}
- G02B 27/4205: {having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant}
- G02F 2203/12: spatial light modulator
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS

## Abstract

A light control device 1 includes a light source 10, a prism 20, a spatial light modulator 30, a drive unit 31, a control unit 32, a lens 41, an aperture 42, and a lens 43. The spatial light modulator 30 is a phase modulating spatial light modulator, includes a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, is capable of phase modulation in each of these pixels in a range of 4π or more, and presents a phase pattern to modulate the phase of light in each of the pixels. This phase pattern is produced by superimposing a blazed grating pattern for light diffraction and a phase pattern having a predetermined phase modulation distribution, and with a phase modulation range of 2π or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light control device comprising:
a light source that outputs light;
a phase modulating spatial light modulator that is capable of phase modulation in each of a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, and presents a phase pattern to modulate the phase of light in each of the pixels; and
a control unit that causes the spatial light modulator to present a phase pattern;
wherein the phase pattern is produced by superimposing a blazed grating pattern for light diffraction and a desired phase pattern having a predetermined phase modulation distribution;
wherein the phase pattern has a phase modulation range of 2π or more.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the blazed grating pattern has a phase modulation range of 2πor less.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light control device according to claim 1, wherein a phase modulation range of the desired phase pattern is 2πor less.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the phase pattern is produced by superimposing the blazed grating pattern, the desired phase pattern and a distortion correction pattern.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the phase pattern is not performed phase folding.