Abstract: A high-speed optical delay generating method by a rotation reflector in optical coherence tomography, capable of providing a sectional picture with a sufficiently long depth-direction (Z direction) scanning distance, and an optical coherence tomography device therefor are provided. The device comprises a low-coherence light source (1), a half mirror (2) for splitting light from the low-coherence light source (1) into two, that is, into object light towards an object (A) to be examined and reference light, a light delay mechanism (3) for delaying the reference light by means of a rotation reflector (12), a fixed mirror (4) for reflecting/returning the reference light from the light delay mechanism (3), the half-mirror (2) for combining the object light returning from the object (A) to be examined with the reference light returning from the light delay mechanism, and a light detector (11) for detecting interference light including a heterodyne interference beat signal combined at the half mirror (2).

Abstract: An optical interference tomographic image observing apparatus is provided so as to detect the static or dynamic structure at a deep portion of a living body or the like and provide a multidimensional image thereof for observation. The optical interference tomographic image observing apparatus includes a rotary prism apparatus which includes a Littrow reflector prism (1) having a 90-degree vertex and disposed near a circumference of a rotary body (4) in such a manner that a surface facing the vertex extends substantially perpendicular to a tangential line of the circumference, the prism having a characteristics such that when a light beam impinges the surface, the light beam is reflected in a direction parallel to the incidence direction.

Abstract: A high-speed optical delay generating method by a rotation reflector in optical coherence tomography, capable of providing a sectional picture with a sufficiently long depth-direction (Z direction) scanning distance, and an optical coherence tomography device therefor are provided. The device comprises a low-coherence light source (1), a half mirror (2) for splitting light from the low-coherence light source (1) into two, that is, into object light towards an object (A) to be examined and reference light, a light delay mechanism (3) for delaying the reference light by means of a rotation reflector (12), a fixed mirror (4) for reflecting/returning the reference light from the light delay mechanism (3), the half-mirror (2) for combining the object light returning from the object (A) to be examined with the reference light returning from the light delay mechanism, and a light detector (11) for detecting interference light including a heterodyne interference beat signal combined at the half mirror (2).

Abstract: An optical interference tomographic image observing apparatus is provided so as to detect the static or dynamic structure at a deep portion of a living body or the like and provide a multidimensional image thereof for observation.

Abstract: An optical waveguide recording medium including an optical waveguide having a photocoupler for receiving a light beam, and a plurality of refractive index-discontinuous portions aligned on the optical waveguide. One of the refractive index-discontinuous portions includes a diffraction grating having grooves extending approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the optical waveguide at equal intervals which gradually become narrower or wider as the distance of that refractive index-discontinuous portion from the photocoupler increases. This recording medium ensures that information is recorded with high density.

Abstract: A three-dimensional optical recording medium is made of a photo-induced refractive index-changing material or two-photons absorbing material, which is based on photo-dissociation or photopolymerization. An optical information recording apparatus comprises a device for loading a three dimensional recording medium; a device for generating a high coherent optical pulse or a train of partially-coherent optical waves; a device for splitting the optical pulse into two pulse components and causing the two pulse components to propagate in the recording medium from opposite directions to meet at a predetermined three-dimensional position; a device for converging a light beam in the recording medium into a parallel beam; and a device for discretely scanning the meeting position of the pulse components to ensure three-dimensional recording in accordance with information to be recorded.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide recording medium playing apparatus which has a heterodyne detection optical system and uses a waveguide light delaying/reflecting device for a reference light generating optical system. This waveguide light delaying/reflecting device is provided with a transducer which is disposed in close proximity of an optical waveguide where light is guided and which generates a surface elastic wave, so that the surface elastic wave may propagate in the light propagating direction of the optical waveguide. A laser beam is guided on the otpical waveguide, and a high-frequency drive current modulated in a burst form is applied to an electrode to generate a surface elastic wave, thereby accomplishing the shifting and phase delay of the light frequency of the reference light which ensures information reproduction with the interaction with the laser beam and the surface elastic wave. This optical waveguide is formed by diffusing Ti, Rb or the like on a substrate of GaAs, SiO.sub.2, or TeO.sub.

Abstract: An optical waveguide recording medium has optical waveguides on which minute refractive-index discontinuous portions for generating multiple reflected waveguide lights of different amplitudes and phases can be aligned in accordance with information to be recorded. A recorded-information reproducing apparatus splits a light beam from a light-emitting element into two, guides one of the split beams to the optical waveguides, and causes interference between a signal light reflected after modulation of the amplitude and phase of part of the guided beams and a light acquired by applying a frequency shift to the other beam to obtain an optical heterodyne output, thereby reproducing information recorded as a time-series signal waveform.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide recording medium playing apparatus which is characterized in that, in an optical system for reading and reproducing recorded information from an optical waveguide recording medium, an optical frequency modulating element for modulating light emitted from a super luminescent diode (SLD) as a light source is provided between the SLD and an objective lens for converging light on the photocoupler of the optical waveguide recording medium. The optical frequency modulating element comprises an ultrasonic light modulating element and a slit. The optical frequency modulating element drives the ultrasonic light modulating element with a frequency-modulated drive voltage to diffract the light from the SLD and limits the spatial spectrum of the diffracted light by means of the slit. Part of the diffracted light passes through the slit.