Beam Combiner for Clear Interference Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beam combiners struggle to produce clear and fine interference patterns, particularly when forming interference patterns at wide angles, due to the collapse of circularly polarized light, leading to unclear interference patterns.
Innovation Solution
A beam combiner design incorporating a polarization separating element that separates light into circularly polarized components with high ellipticity, combined with a light control element and polarization compensating elements to ensure appropriate interference and maintain ellipticity, forming a clear and fine interference pattern on a photosensitive material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If light is incident into the photosensitive material at a wide angle to form a fine interference pattern, then the interference pattern fineness is improved, but the circularly polarized light collapses leading to unclear interference pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The light beam is segmented into separate circularly polarized components (right-handed and left-handed) using a polarization separating element. Each component is independently controlled and then recombined, preventing the collapse that occurs when trying to maintain wide-angle incidence with conventional beam combiners. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both fine interference patterns and clear visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A polarization compensating element is introduced as an intermediary component between the beam combiner and the photosensitive material. This element compensates for the polarization changes that occur during wide-angle incidence, maintaining the circular polarization state and ensuring clear interference patterns while achieving fine resolution.
2Device complexity
If a conventional beam combiner is used to combine P-polarized and S-polarized light, then the device structure is simple, but the interference pattern becomes unclear at wide angles due to polarization collapse
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a simple beam combiner that directly combines P and S polarized light, the invention segments the light into circularly polarized components, processes them separately, and then recombines them. This segmentation approach maintains interference pattern quality at wide angles while accepting increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the polarization parameter representation from linear (P and S polarizations) to circular (right-handed and left-handed circular polarizations). This parameter transformation, achieved through polarization converting elements, allows the system to maintain stable interference patterns at wide incidence angles that would cause collapse in the linear polarization regime.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the formation of clear and fine interference patterns by ensuring appropriate interference of circularly polarized light components, enhancing the concentric interference pattern quality and maintaining high ellipticity, thus improving the alignment film and optical element manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a beam combiner that causes two beams to interfere with each other to form an interference pattern
Implementation Method 2
a polarization separating element that separates light incident into the beam combiner element into two right circularly polarized light components or two left circularly polarized light components
Implementation Method 3
the P-polarized light MP and the S-polarized light MS are converted into right circularly polarized light and left circularly polarized light by the λ/4 plate 112 depending on polarization directions, and are incident into, for example, a photosensitive material Z to form an interference pattern
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a beam combiner that can form a fine and clear interference pattern, a method of forming an alignment film in which a fine and clear alignment pattern can be obtained, and a method of manufacturing an optical element including a fine and clear liquid crystal alignment pattern. The beam combiner element includes: a beam combiner element that emits light where right/left circularly polarized light components are combined; a polarization separating element that separates incidence light into two right or left circularly polarized light components; and a light control element that focuses or diffuses light and is provided on at least one optical path of circularly polarized light incident into the beam combiner element, in which an absolute value of an ellipticity of circularly polarized light emitted from the beam combiner element is 0.8 or more.