Nippon Oil Corporation

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Byoungchoo Park

Suzushi Nishimura

Takehiro Toyooka

Hideo Takezoe

Myoung Hoon Song

Junji Watanabe

Ki-Chul Shin

Jisoo Hwang

A laser oscillation elementaccording to the invention comprises a cholesteric liquid crystal layercontaining cholesteric liquid crystals, a cholesteric liquid crystal layercontaining cholesteric liquid crystals facing the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and a defect layercontaining a dyewhich emits fluorescence upon optical excitation disposed between the cholesteric liquid crystal layers. A selective reflection wavelength band in the cholesteric liquid crystals overlaps with the emission band of the fluorescence emitted by the dye, the helical winding directions of the cholesteric liquid crystals contained in the cholesteric liquid crystal layersare identical, and the transition moments of the dyeare aligned parallel to the surfaces of the cholesteric liquid crystal layers. According to the laser oscillation element, a laser oscillation can be generated with high efficiency. Moreover, continuous wave lasing can be generated.

Laser oscillation elements

An optical diode. A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layer has a selective reflection wavelength band with a left-handed helical structure, and a phase shifter for changing a phase difference between two intrinsic polarized light components of left-handed circularly polarized light having a wavelength within the selective reflection wavelength band of the CLC layer. When left-handed circularly polarized light having a wavelength within the selective reflection wavelength band of the CLC layer is incident on the phase shifter in the optical diode, the phase shifter turns the left-handed circularly polarized light into right-handed circularly polarized light, which can be transmitted through the CLC layer. When left-handed circularly polarized light having a wavelength within the selective reflection wavelength band of the CLC layer is incident on the CLC layer, it is selectively reflected by the CLC layer.

Optical diode

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Byoungchoo Park