Optical modulating element

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE: To obtain an optical modulating element of simple constitution which operates even if waveguides are not used by utilizing the correspondence of the Meissner type continuous change in the mixing region of a class 2 superconductor to an optical change of refractive index to constitute the optical modulating element. CONSTITUTION: The class 2 superconductor is in the Meissner state if an impressed magnetic field H is at H<H c1 . Incident light 100 which is an electromagnetic wave cannot, therefore, infiltrate into the inside of the superconductor 10 and is reflected by which reflected light 110 is maximized and turned off. The mixed state is attained when the magnetic field H is increased to H c1 <H<H c2 . Then, the incident light 100 begins to infiltrate into the inside of the superconductor and transmitted light 120 appears at this time. The reflected light 110 decreases gradually. The normal conducting state is attained and the Meissner characteristic disappears gradually when the impressed magnetic field is further increased to H c2 <H. The reflected light 110 is then minimized and the transmitted light 120 is maximized and is turned on. The incident light is thus modulated in intensity by using the continuous change of the quantity of the transmitted light or the quantity of the reflected light between the on state and the off state. The optical modulating element of the simple constitution is thereby obtd. COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO&Japio

Inventors

• 👤 Hiroyuki Minemura
• 👤 Yoshio Sato
• 👤 Nobuyoshi Tsuboi
• 👤 Hiroaki Koyanagi

Bibliographic Details