Optical component, optical element, and method for manufacturing an optical component
By using molded optical components made of organic nonlinear optical materials and excipients, the problems of high cost and low yield in existing technologies have been solved, and the effect of efficient generation and detection of terahertz waves has been achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS KK
- Filing Date
- 2022-01-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, generating and detecting optical components of high-intensity, wide-bandwidth terahertz waves requires an expensive and inefficient crystallization process of organic nonlinear optical materials, resulting in high costs and low yields.
By using a molded body containing organic nonlinear optical materials and excipients, molded optical components are formed through mixing and pressurization, avoiding the separate crystallization step of the organic nonlinear optical materials, thus increasing yield and reducing costs.
It enables the generation and detection of high-intensity, wide-bandwidth terahertz waves, simplifies the processing, increases output, and controls costs.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an optical member, an optical element, and a method for manufacturing an optical member.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a particulate composition characterized by containing porous particulate silicon oxide as a main component and further containing a terahertz wave emitting compound capable of emitting terahertz waves.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Currently, there is a demand for an optical member capable of generating and detecting high-intensity and broadband terahertz waves. As an example of such an optical member, there is a plate-shaped optical member obtained by crystallizing an organic nonlinear optical material such as DAST (4-N,N-Dimethyl-Amino-4‘-N’-methyl-Stilbazolium 4-Toluenesulfonate). According to such an optical member, it is said that terahertz waves can be efficiently generated and detected. However, since the organic nonlinear optical material for terahertz wave generation requires time and labor for its crystallization, it is generally very expensive and has a low yield.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an optical member, an optical element, and a method for manufacturing an optical member that can generate and detect terahertz waves and can improve the yield while suppressing the price.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The optical component relating to this disclosure is a terahertz optical component comprising a molded body containing a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material and an excipient.
[0007] This optical component consists of a molded body of a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material and an excipient. According to the inventors' findings, such a molded body can generate and detect terahertz waves, similar to optical components obtained by crystallizing organic nonlinear optical materials. On the other hand, this optical component eliminates the need to crystallize the organic nonlinear optical material into a single component, thus improving yield while keeping costs down.
[0008] In the optical component according to this disclosure, the mixture may partially contain crystals of the organic nonlinear optical material. Thus, the optical component may contain some crystals that were formed, for example, during the synthesis of the organic nonlinear optical material. Even in this case, it is possible to improve yield while keeping costs down, compared to, for example, the case in which the organic nonlinear optical material is crystallized after synthesis to form a single component.
[0009] In the optical component relating to this disclosure, the excipient may include polyethylene and / or Teflon®. By using polyethylene or Teflon as an excipient in this way, the construction of the molded article is simplified.
[0010] The optical component according to this disclosure may emit terahertz waves when irradiated with laser light, or it may detect terahertz waves when irradiated with them. Thus, the optical component according to this disclosure can be used for emitting or detecting terahertz waves.
[0011] The optical element according to this disclosure may include the above-mentioned optical member and a support member for supporting the optical member. In this case, handling of the optical member becomes easier.
[0012] In the optical element according to this disclosure, the support member may be formed in an annular shape so as to support the peripheral edge of the optical element while exposing the central portion of the optical element. In this case, the handling of the optical element is facilitated, and the portion of the optical element exposed from the support member can be used as the light input and output portion.
[0013] In the optical element according to this disclosure, the support member is a lens, and the optical element may be provided on the light incident surface or light emission surface of the lens. In this case, it is possible to facilitate the handling of the optical element while focusing the incident light onto the optical element with the lens, or to suppress the spread of the emitted light from the optical element with the lens.
[0014] The optical element according to this disclosure may include a moisture-proof film provided on the surface of the optical component. In this case, deliquescence of the optical component is suppressed.
[0015] The method for manufacturing an optical member according to this disclosure is a method for manufacturing an optical member for terahertz, comprising: a first step of mixing an organic nonlinear optical material and an excipient to form a mixture; and a second step of applying pressure to the mixture after the first step to form a molded body of the mixture.
[0016] In this method for manufacturing optical components, a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material and an excipient is formed, and then pressure is applied to the mixture to form a molded body. According to the inventors' findings, such a molded body can generate and detect terahertz waves, similar to optical components obtained by crystallizing organic nonlinear optical materials. On the other hand, this method for manufacturing optical components eliminates the step of crystallizing the organic nonlinear optical material into a single component, thus improving yield while keeping costs down.
[0017] The manufacturing method of the optical member according to the present disclosure may include a third step of crystallizing at least a part of the organic nonlinear optical material before the first step. Thus, in this manufacturing method of the optical member, for example, a step of partial crystallization may be included, such as during the synthesis of the organic nonlinear optical material. Even in this case, it is possible to improve the yield while suppressing the cost as compared with the case of performing a step of crystallizing the organic nonlinear optical material after synthesis to form a single member.
Advantages of the Invention
[0018] An object of the present invention is to provide an optical member, an optical element, and a manufacturing method of an optical member that can generate and detect terahertz waves and can improve the yield while suppressing the cost.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a terahertz wave measurement apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a terahertz wave generation element as the optical element shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the optical characteristics of the optical member shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing a comparison between a DASC crystal as a comparative example and the optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the time waveform of terahertz waves when the optical member is rotated. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the particle size of the excipient and the optical characteristics in the optical member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a graph for comparing the optical characteristics with and without using an excipient. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a step of the manufacturing method of the optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph showing the optical characteristics of an optical member containing the organic nonlinear optical material represented by formula (3). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the optical characteristics of an optical member including an organic nonlinear optical material represented by formula (4).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding drawings may be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a terahertz wave measuring apparatus according to an embodiment. The terahertz wave measuring apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 1 acquires information on a measurement object S by a transmission measurement method using terahertz waves. The terahertz wave measuring apparatus 2 includes a light source 11, a branching unit 12, a chopper 13, an optical path length difference adjustment unit 14, a polarizer 15, a terahertz wave generation element (optical element) 20, a terahertz wave detection element (optical element) 40, a quarter-wave plate 51, a polarization beam splitter 52, a photodetector 53a, a photodetector 53b, a differential amplifier 54, and a lock-in amplifier 55.
[0022] The light source 11 outputs pulsed light at a constant repetition period, and may be, for example, a femtosecond pulsed laser light source that outputs pulsed laser light having a pulse width of about femtoseconds. The wavelength of the light output from the light source 11 may be, for example, 700 to 1600 nm.
[0023] The branching unit 12 is, for example, a beam splitter, which splits the pulsed light output from the light source 11 and incident through the mirror M1 into two, and outputs one of the two split pulsed lights as pump light Pa to the terahertz wave generation element 20 side, and the other pulsed light as probe light Pb to the mirror M4 side.
[0024] The chopper 13 is installed on the optical path of the pump light Pa between the branching section 12 and the terahertz wave generating element 20, and alternately passes the pump light Pa through and blocks it at a constant period. The pump light Pa output from the branching section 12 and passing through the chopper 13 is input to the terahertz wave generating element 20 via the lens L1. The lens L1 focuses the pump light Pa toward the terahertz wave generating element 20. The optical system of the pump light from the branching section 12 to the terahertz wave generating element 20 may be referred to as the "pump optical system" below.
[0025] The terahertz wave generating element 20 generates and outputs a pulsed terahertz wave T when pump light Pa is input. The pulsed terahertz wave T is generated with a constant repetition period and has a pulse width of several picoseconds. The pulsed terahertz wave T generated by the terahertz wave generating element 20 is reflected by the first parabolic surface of mirror M2, becoming parallel light, and is irradiated onto the object to be measured S. The pulsed terahertz wave T that has passed through the object to be measured S is focused by the second parabolic surface of mirror M3 and focused toward the terahertz wave detection element 40. Note that the terahertz wave generating element 20 may be any other electro-optic crystal, and the optical element according to the present invention may be used in at least one of the terahertz wave generating element 20 and the terahertz wave detection element 40.
[0026] In the terahertz wave measuring device 2, the terahertz wave generator 1 is composed of a light source 11, a branching section 12, a chopper 13, a lens L1, a mirror M1, a mirror M2, and a terahertz wave generating element 20 in the pump optical system. The terahertz wave generator 1 only needs to have a light source 11 and a terahertz wave generating element 20, and should be configured so that pulsed light output from the light source 11 is input to the terahertz wave generating element 20; the other components of the terahertz wave generator 1 are arbitrary.
[0027] In the terahertz wave measuring device 2, pulsed terahertz waves T transmitted through the object S to be measured are detected by the terahertz wave detection element 40. Then, by analyzing the signal obtained when the object S is not present as a reference signal and the signal transmitted through the object S as the measurement signal, information about the object S (e.g., absorption coefficient, refractive index) is detected. As an example, terahertz waves can be assumed to be electromagnetic waves with frequencies in the range of approximately 0.01 THz to 100 THz.
[0028] Here, the probe light Pb output from the branching section 12 is sequentially reflected by mirrors M4 to M8 and passes through the polarizer 15. The probe light Pb that has passed through the polarizer 15 is input to the terahertz wave detection element 40 via lens L2. Lens L2 focuses the probe light Pb toward the terahertz wave detection element 40. The four mirrors M4 to M7 constitute the optical path length difference adjustment section 14.
[0029] The terahertz wave detection element 40 detects the correlation between the pulsed terahertz wave T and the probe light Pb. The terahertz wave detection element 40 may also contain other electro-optic crystals.
[0030] The polarization separation element 52 receives probe light Pb output from the terahertz wave detection element 40, which has passed through the quarter-wave plate 51, and separates the input probe light Pb into two mutually orthogonal polarization components and outputs them. The polarization separation element 52 may be, for example, a Wollaston prism. The photodetectors 53a and 53b include, for example, photodiodes, and detect the power of the two polarization components of the probe light Pb that have been polarized by the polarization separation element 52, and output an electrical signal with a value corresponding to the detected power to the differential amplifier 54.
[0031] The differential amplifier 54 receives the electrical signals output from the photodetectors 53a and 53b, respectively, and outputs an electrical signal to the lock-in amplifier 55 that has a value corresponding to the difference between the values of the two electrical signals. The lock-in amplifier 55 synchronously detects the electrical signal output from the differential amplifier 54 at the repetition frequency of the passage and blockage of the pump light in the chopper 13. The signal output from this lock-in amplifier 55 has a value that depends on the electric field strength of the terahertz wave. In this way, the correlation between the pulsed terahertz wave T transmitted through the object to be measured S and the probe light Pb is detected, and the electric field amplitude of the pulsed terahertz wave T is detected, thereby obtaining information about the object to be measured S. The output of the lock-in amplifier 55 is provided to any computer, PC 56.
[0032] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the terahertz wave generating element as an optical element shown in Figure 1. The terahertz wave generating element 20 shown in Figure 2 has an optical element 30 for terahertz waves and a support member 35 that supports the optical element 30. The optical element 30 is a molded body formed, for example, as a plate-shaped (here, disc-shaped) pellet. The support member 35 has an annular shape in plan view (i.e., when viewed from the optical axis direction of the pump light Pa) and supports the peripheral edge 30a of the optical element 30. More specifically, the support member 35 is formed in an annular shape from, for example, metal, and supports the optical element 30 by its inner surface contacting the peripheral edge 30a of the optical element 30. Therefore, here, the support member 35 supports the optical element 30 while exposing the entire surface of the light input and output surface, including the central portion of the optical element 30. Note that the shape of the optical element 30 in plan view is not limited to a circular shape, but may also be a polygonal shape such as a rectangle or a triangle. A circular shape for the optical element 30 in plan view is preferable because it makes it easier to apply uniform pressure to the entire pellet when manufacturing it, as will be described later.
[0033] The optical component 30 receives irradiation from the pump light Pa, which is laser light, and emits terahertz waves. The terahertz wave detection element 40 shown in Figure 1 may have a similar configuration. In this case, the optical component 30 receives irradiation from terahertz waves and detects them.
[0034] The optical component 30 comprises an organic nonlinear optical material 31 and an excipient 32. The organic nonlinear optical material 31 is any substance that has a high second-order nonlinear optical constant, generates high-intensity terahertz waves, and is capable of generating and detecting broadband terahertz waves. Examples include DAST (4-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate) represented by the following formula (1) or DASC (4-dimethylamino-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium p-chlorobenzene sulfonate) represented by the following formula (2). [ka] [ka]
[0035] On the other hand, the excipient 32 includes, for example, polyethylene and / or Teflon. The optical member 30 consists of a molded body containing a mixture of the organic nonlinear optical material 31 and the excipient 32. The mixture of the organic nonlinear optical material 31 and the excipient 32 refers to a state in which particles of the organic nonlinear optical material 31 are dispersed (mechanically and physically) within particles of the excipient 32.
[0036] The specific manufacturing method will be described later, but the optical component 30 is obtained by synthesizing an organic nonlinear optical material, mixing the organic nonlinear optical material with an excipient to create a mixture, and then forming the mixture into pellets by pressure molding. In other words, the optical component 30 can be manufactured without growing the organic nonlinear optical material into a plate-like crystal of a desired size. The optical component 30 may also partially contain crystals of the organic nonlinear optical material.
[0037] Figure 3 is a graph showing the optical properties of the optical element shown in Figure 2. Figure 3(a) shows the time waveform of the terahertz wave emitted from the optical element 30, and Figure 3(b) shows the spectrum of the terahertz wave emitted from the optical element 30. In the examples in Figures 3 to 5, DASC (25 wt%) is used as the organic nonlinear optical material, and polyethylene (75 wt%) is used as the excipient. As shown in Figure 3, broadband terahertz wave emission was confirmed with the optical element 30, which is a molded body of a mixture of DASC and polyethylene. The weight ratio of the organic nonlinear optical material in the optical element 30 is preferably 10 wt% to 50 wt%, and even more preferably 20 wt% to 30 wt%.
[0038] Figure 4 is a graph showing a comparison between a DASC crystal as a comparative example and the optical element according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that, although there is a decrease in signal compared to the DASC crystal, the optical element 30 according to this embodiment ensures a sufficiently usable signal-to-noise ratio and maintains a broadband capability comparable to that of the DASC crystal.
[0039] Figure 5 is a graph showing the time waveform of terahertz waves when the optical element is rotated. In Figure 5, 0deg represents the reference value, and 100deg represents the value when the optical element is rotated by 100° around the optical axis of the pump light Pa. As shown in Figure 5, no angular dependence of signal intensity is observed with the optical element 30, suggesting that the polarization of the emitted terahertz waves can be easily controlled without crystal rotation by controlling the polarization of the pump light Pa.
[0040] The particle size of the excipient in the optical component 30 is arbitrary, but the particle size of the excipient can affect the optical properties. Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the particle size of the excipient in the optical component and the optical properties. Figure 6(a) shows the time waveform of the terahertz wave emitted from the optical component 30, and Figure 6(b) shows the spectrum of the terahertz wave emitted from the optical component 30. As shown in Figure 6, when the particle size of the polyethylene as an excipient was relatively small at 7 μm, a stronger signal was obtained compared to when the particle size was mixed in the range of 53 μm to 75 μm and was relatively large. This is thought to be because the smaller particle size of the polyethylene makes the surface of the optical component 30 smoother (mirrored), reducing the effect of light scattering on the surface.
[0041] Furthermore, it is generally known that excipients such as polyethylene scatter terahertz waves, thus reducing the transmittance of terahertz waves, especially in the high-frequency range. For this reason, conventionally, there have been no attempts to use molded bodies of mixtures with excipients such as polyethylene as optical components for generating and detecting broadband terahertz waves. In contrast, as shown in Figure 7, according to the present inventors, when the optical component 30 is constructed from a molded body of a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material and polyethylene (Pellet_DASC with PE in Figure 7), it has been confirmed that the terahertz wave output is stronger than when polyethylene is not used (Pellet_DASC 100% in Figure 7).
[0042] Next, the method for manufacturing the optical member 30 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing one step of the method for manufacturing the optical member according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, first, an organic nonlinear optical material is synthesized (step S101). At this time, crystals of the organic nonlinear optical material may be formed. Subsequently, the organic nonlinear optical material obtained in step S101 is crystallized (step S102: third step). In step S102, it is not necessary to form high-quality plate-like crystals of a desired size from the organic nonlinear optical material as in the conventional method; it is sufficient to crystallize at least a part of the organic nonlinear optical material. Furthermore, step S102 may be omitted.
[0043] Next, a mixture of the organic nonlinear optical material obtained in steps S101 and S102 and the excipient is prepared (step S103, first step). Specifically, the mixture can be obtained by introducing the organic nonlinear optical material obtained in steps S101 and S102 and the excipient particles into a mortar and mixing them.
[0044] Subsequently, pressure is applied to the mixture obtained in step S103 to form a molded body of the mixture (step S104, second step). More specifically, in step S104, the mixture obtained in step S103 is placed inside the support member 35 and pressed vertically with a 2T press. This yields a pellet-shaped molded body with a diameter of approximately 7 mm and a thickness of approximately 200 μm. The obtained molded body can be used as an optical member 30 together with the support member 35 (without removing it from the support member 35) as a terahertz wave generating element 20 and / or a terahertz wave detecting element 40. The size of the molded body (optical member 30) here can be, for example, about 5 mm to 20 mm in diameter and about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm in thickness.
[0045] As described above, the optical member 30 according to this embodiment consists of a molded body of a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material 31 and an excipient 32. According to the inventors' findings, such a molded body can generate and detect terahertz waves, similar to optical members obtained by crystallizing an organic nonlinear optical material. On the other hand, with this optical member 30, the effort of crystallizing the organic nonlinear optical material into a single member (to form a high-quality crystal) is eliminated, and since it is not constrained by the quality of the crystal, it is possible to improve yield while keeping costs down.
[0046] Furthermore, in the optical member 30 according to this embodiment, the mixture may partially contain crystals of the organic nonlinear optical material 31. Thus, the optical member 30 may contain some crystals that were formed, for example, during the synthesis of the organic nonlinear optical material 31. Even in this case, it is possible to improve yield while keeping costs down, compared to, for example, the case in which the organic nonlinear optical material 31 is crystallized after synthesis to form a single member.
[0047] Furthermore, in the optical member 30 according to this embodiment, the excipient 32 contains polyethylene and / or Teflon. By using polyethylene or Teflon as the excipient 32 in this way, the construction of the molded body is simplified.
[0048] Furthermore, the optical member 30 according to this embodiment can be used as a terahertz wave generating element 20 that emits pulsed terahertz waves T upon irradiation with laser light (pump light Pa), or as a terahertz wave detection element 40 that detects pulsed terahertz waves T upon irradiation. Thus, the optical member 30 according to this embodiment can be used for the emission and detection of pulsed terahertz waves T.
[0049] Furthermore, the terahertz wave generating element 20 and / or terahertz wave detecting element 40 according to this embodiment include the optical member 30 and a support member 35 that supports the optical member 30. This makes it easier to handle the optical member 30.
[0050] Furthermore, in the terahertz wave generating element 20 and / or terahertz wave detecting element 40 according to this embodiment, the support member 35 is formed in an annular shape so as to support the peripheral edge 30a of the optical element 30 while exposing the central portion of the optical element 30. This makes it possible to handle the optical element 30 while utilizing the portion of the optical element 30 exposed from the support member 35 as the light input and output portion.
[0051] The embodiments described above illustrate one aspect of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure can be modified at will without limiting it to the embodiments described above. Modifications will be described next.
[0052] First, in the above embodiment, DAST, represented by formula (1), and DASC, represented by formula (2), were given as examples of organic nonlinear optical materials 31 used in the optical member 30. However, in the optical member 30, a substance (organic nonlinear optical material) represented by the following formula (3) can be used instead. The substance represented by the following formula (3) is difficult to generate terahertz waves from due to crystallization. In other words, the substance represented by the following formula (3) is a substance from which it is difficult to create crystals capable of emitting terahertz waves. [ka]
[0053] Figure 9 is a graph showing the optical properties of an optical component containing the organic nonlinear optical material represented by equation (3). Figure 9(a) shows the time waveform of terahertz waves emitted from an optical component 30 using the organic nonlinear optical material represented by equation (3), and Figure 9(b) shows the spectrum of terahertz waves emitted from the optical component 30. As shown in Figure 9, it has been confirmed that even a substance represented by equation (3), which is difficult to produce crystals capable of emitting terahertz waves, can be used as a terahertz wave source (and terahertz wave detection element) by constructing the optical component 30 as a molded body (pellet) of a mixture with an excipient. Here, after synthesizing and drying the substance of equation (3), the green microcrystalline powder was pelletized and terahertz wave emission experiments were conducted.
[0054] Similarly, in the optical component 30, instead of DAST or DASC, a material represented by the following formula (4) (organic nonlinear optical material) can be used. [ka]
[0055] Figure 10 is a graph showing the optical properties of an optical component containing the organic nonlinear optical material represented by equation (4). Figure 10(a) shows the time waveform of terahertz waves emitted from an optical component 30 using the organic nonlinear optical material represented by equation (4), and Figure 10(b) shows the spectrum of terahertz waves emitted from the optical component 30. As shown in Figure 10, it has been confirmed that even the substance represented by equation (4) can be used as a terahertz wave source (and terahertz wave detection element) by constructing the optical component 30 as a molded body (pellet) of a mixture with an excipient. Here, after synthesizing and drying the substance of equation (4), the green microcrystalline powder was pelletized and terahertz wave emission experiments were conducted.
[0056] In the above embodiment, the optical member 30 was described in which an annular support member 35 (suitable for use in a press machine) was used as the terahertz wave generating element 20 and / or terahertz wave detecting element 40. However, the support member for the optical member 30 is not limited to this. For example, a lens can be used as the support member for the optical member 30. In this case, the optical member 30 can be supported by the lens by providing it on the light incident surface or light output surface of the lens. By providing the optical member 30 on the light incident surface of the lens, the spreading of pulsed terahertz waves T emitted from the optical member 30 can be suppressed by the lens. Furthermore, by providing the optical member 30 on the light output surface of the lens, it is also possible to focus the incident light on the optical member 30 with the lens.
[0057] Alternatively, a transparent substrate or the like may be used as a support member instead of a lens. Furthermore, a support member may not be used at all.
[0058] Furthermore, it is also possible to use a mixture of organic nonlinear optical crystals, which are purified by dissolving organic nonlinear optical materials in a solvent (such as methanol) and then precipitating them, and an excipient.
[0059] Furthermore, a moisture-proof film may be provided on the surface of the optical component 30. In this case, deliquescence of the optical component can be suppressed. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0060] 20...Terahertz wave generating element (optical element), 30...Optical component, 30a...Peripheral part, 31...Organic nonlinear optical material, 32...Excipient, 35...Support member, 40...Terahertz wave detection element (optical element).
Claims
1. An optical component for terahertz waves comprising a molded body containing a mixture of an organic nonlinear optical material and an excipient, the mixture partially containing crystals of the organic nonlinear optical material, The molded article is formed in which particles of the organic nonlinear optical material are dispersed within the particles of the excipient. Optical components.
2. The excipient includes polyethylene and / or Teflon. The optical member according to claim 1.
3. It emits terahertz waves when irradiated with laser light. The optical member according to claim 1 or 2.
4. It receives irradiation with terahertz waves and detects those terahertz waves. The optical member according to claim 1 or 2.
5. An optical member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A support member that supports the optical element, An optical element equipped with the following features.
6. The support member is formed in an annular shape so as to support the peripheral edge of the optical member while exposing the central portion of the optical member. The optical element according to claim 5.
7. The support member is a lens, The optical member is provided on the light incident surface or light output surface of the lens. The optical element according to claim 5.
8. The optical element is provided with a moisture-proof film on its surface. The optical element according to any one of claims 5 to 7.
9. A method for manufacturing an optical component for terahertz waves, A first step involves mixing an organic nonlinear optical material with an excipient to form a mixture in which particles of the organic nonlinear optical material are dispersed within particles of the excipient. A second step is to apply pressure to the mixture after the first step to form a molded body of the mixture, Prior to the first step, a third step is performed in which at least a portion of the organic nonlinear optical material is crystallized, A method for manufacturing an optical component comprising the above.