Abstract: A light modulation device includes a phase-modulation type spatial light modulator having a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels and modulating a phase of input light for each pixel with a modulation pattern, a modulation pattern setting unit setting a target modulation pattern for modulating the phase of the light, a correction coefficient setting unit setting a correction coefficient ? of ??1 according to pixel structure characteristics of the spatial light modulator and pattern characteristics of the target modulation pattern, and a modulation pattern correction unit determining a corrected modulation pattern to be presented on the plurality of pixels of the spatial light modulator by multiplying the target modulation pattern by the correction coefficient ?.

Abstract: A beam expander includes a first lens unit including one of an SLM or a VFL, a second lens unit being optically coupled to the first lens unit and including one of an SLM or a VFL, and a control unit controlling focal lengths of the first and second lens units. A distance between the first and second lens units is invariable. The control unit controls the focal lengths of the first and second lens units such that a light diameter D1 of light input to the first lens unit and a light diameter D2 of light output from the second lens unit are different from each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phase modulating apparatus capable of highly accurately and easily correcting the phase modulation characteristic of a reflective electric address spatial light modulator even when a condition of input light is changed. In the LCOS phase modulating apparatus, an input unit inputs the condition of the input light, and a processing unit sets an input value for each pixel. A correction value deriving unit determines a correction condition according to the condition of the input light. A control input value converting unit converts the input value set for each pixel into a corrected input value based on the correction condition. An LUT processing unit converts the corrected input value into a voltage value, and drives each pixel by using a drive voltage equivalent to the converted voltage value.

Abstract: A light control device 1 includes a light source 10, a prism 20, a spatial light modulator 30, a drive unit 31, a control unit 32, a lens 41, an aperture 42, and a lens 43. The spatial light modulator 30 is a phase modulating spatial light modulator, includes a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, is capable of phase modulation in each of these pixels in a range of 4? or more, and presents a phase pattern to modulate the phase of light in each of the pixels. This phase pattern is produced by superimposing a blazed grating pattern for light diffraction and a phase pattern having a predetermined phase modulation distribution, and with a phase modulation range of 2? or more.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit including one of an SLM or a VFL, a second lens unit being optically coupled between the first lens unit and a focal plane and including one of an SLM or a VFL, and a control unit controlling focal lengths of the first and second lens units. A distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit and a distance between the second lens unit and the focal plane are invariable. The control unit changes a magnification ratio of the zoom lens by changing the focal lengths of the first and second lens units.

Abstract: A beam shaping device includes a first phase modulation unit including a phase-modulation type SLM, and displaying a first phase pattern for modulating a phase of input light, a second phase modulation unit including a phase-modulation type SLM, being optically coupled to the first phase modulation unit, and displaying a second phase pattern for further modulating a phase of light phase-modulated by the first phase modulation unit, and a control unit providing the first and second phase patterns to the first and second phase modulation units, respectively. The first and second phase patterns are phase patterns for approximating an intensity distribution and a phase distribution of light output from the second phase modulation unit, to predetermined distributions.

Abstract: A laser machining device is provided with a laser light source, a spatial light modulator, a driving unit, a control unit, and a condensing optical system. The control unit selects a basic hologram corresponding to each basic machining pattern included in a whole machining pattern in a workpiece from a plurality of basic holograms stored by the storage unit, and determines a display region of the basic hologram in the spatial light modulator so that the deviation of the value of “I?/n” becomes small for the selected respective basic hologram when the intensity of a laser beam input to a display region of the basic hologram in the spatial light modulator is defined as I, the diffraction efficiency of the laser beam in the basic hologram is defined as ?, and the number of condensing points in a basic machining pattern corresponding to the basic hologram is defined as n.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser light source, a phase modulation type spatial light modulator, a driving unit, a control unit, and an imaging optical system. A storage unit that is included in the driving unit stores a plurality of basic holograms corresponding to a plurality of basic processing patterns and a focusing hologram corresponding to a Fresnel lens pattern. The control unit arranges in parallel two or more basic holograms selected from the plurality of basic holograms stored in the storage unit, overlaps the focusing hologram with each of the basic holograms arranged in parallel to form the whole hologram, and presents the formed whole hologram to the spatial light modulator.

Abstract: A laser processing device includes a laser light source, a spatial light modulator, a control section, and a condensing optical system. The spatial light modulator, presents a hologram for modulating the phase of the laser light in each of a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, and outputs the phase-modulated laser light. The control section causes a part of the phase-modulated laser light (incident light) to be condensed at a condensing position in a processing region as a laser light (contribution light) having a constant energy not less than a predetermined threshold X. The control section causes a laser light (unnecessary light) other than the contribution light condensed to the condensing position existing in the processing region to be dispersed and condensed at a condensing position existing in a non-processing region as a plurality of laser lights (non-contribution lights) having an energy less than the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: In the control of light condensing irradiation of laser light using a spatial light modulator, the number of wavelengths, a value of each wavelength, and incident conditions of the laser light are acquired, the number of light condensing points, and a light condensing position, a wavelength, and a light condensing intensity on each light condensing point are set, and a light condensing control pattern is set for each light condensing point. Then, a modulation pattern presented in the spatial light modulator is designed in consideration of the light condensing control pattern. Further, in the design of a modulation pattern, a design method focusing on an effect by a phase value of one pixel is used, and when evaluating a light condensing state, a propagation function to which a phase pattern opposite to the light condensing control pattern is added is used.

Abstract: In the control of light condensing irradiation of laser light using a spatial light modulator, the number of wavelengths, a value of each wavelength, and incident conditions of the laser light are acquired, the number of light condensing points, and a light condensing position, a wavelength, and a light condensing intensity on each light condensing point are set, and a distortion phase pattern provided in an optical system including the spatial light modulator to the laser light is derived. Then, a modulation pattern presented in the spatial light modulator is designed in consideration of the distortion phase pattern. Further, in the design of a modulation pattern, a design method focusing on an effect by a phase value of one pixel is used, and when evaluating a light condensing state, a propagation function to which a distortion phase pattern is added is used.

Abstract: In an apparatus for modulating light, an spatial light modulator includes a plurality of pixels and configured to modulate input light in response to a drive voltage for each of the pixels. An input value setting unit is configured to set an input value for the each of pixels. The input value is a digital value, an entire gray level of the digital value is “N”, and “N” is a natural number. A converting unit is configured to convert the input value to a control value. A control value is a digital value, an entire gray level of the control value is “M”, and “M” is a natural number greater than “N”. A driving unit is configured to convert the control value to a voltage value and drive the each of the pixels in response to the drive voltage corresponding to the voltage value.

Abstract: A phase-modulating apparatus includes a spatial light modulator, an input value setting unit, a plurality of sets of reference data, a converting unit, and a driving unit. The input value setting unit sets an input value for each pixel. Each set of reference data corresponds to at least one pixel. The converting unit converts an input value inputted for each pixel to a control value by referencing the corresponding set of reference data. The driving unit converts the control value to a voltage value. The driving unit drives each pixel with a drive voltage corresponding to the voltage value. Each set of reference data correlates a plurality of first values from which input values are taken, and a plurality of second values from which control values are taken to ensure that the relationship between the plurality of first values and phase modulation amounts attained by the corresponding at least one pixel is a prescribed linear relationship.

Abstract: A spatial light modulation device includes a liquid crystal layer modulating a phase of incident light according to a level of an applied electric field, a temperature sensor generating a temperature signal corresponding to a temperature of the liquid crystal layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes provided for each of a plurality of pixels and applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer, and a driving device providing a voltage to the plurality of pixel electrodes. The driving device has a nonvolatile storage element storing in advance a coefficient ? included in a function expressing a correlation between a temperature change amount in the liquid crystal layer and a variation in phase modulation amount in the liquid crystal layer, and performs a calculation for correcting a level of voltage by use of a temperature indicated by the temperature signal and the coefficient ?.

Abstract: A spatial light modulation device includes a phase-modulation type spatial light modulator, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the spatial light modulator, and a control unit providing a drive signal to the spatial light modulator. The control unit has a storage unit. The storage unit stores N correction patterns created so as to correspond to N (N is an integer not less than 2) temperature values of the spatial light modulator in order to correct phase distortion of the spatial light modulator. The control unit selects one correction pattern according to a temperature value of the spatial light modulator, and generates the drive signal based on a phase pattern created by adding the one correction pattern to a desired phase pattern. Thereby, it becomes possible to suppress phase distortion according to a temperature change while suppressing a delay in operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phase modulating apparatus capable of highly accurately and easily correcting the phase modulation characteristic of a reflective electric address spatial light modulator even when a condition of input light is changed. In the LCOS phase modulating apparatus, an input unit inputs the condition of the input light, and a processing unit sets an input value for each pixel. A correction value deriving unit determines a correction condition according to the condition of the input light. A control input value converting unit converts the input value set for each pixel into a corrected input value based on the correction condition. An LUT processing unit converts the corrected input value into a voltage value, and drives each pixel by using a drive voltage equivalent to the converted voltage value.

Abstract: A spatial light modulation device includes a liquid crystal layer modulating a phase of incident light according to a level of an applied electric field, a temperature sensor generating a temperature signal corresponding to a temperature of the liquid crystal layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes provided for each of a plurality of pixels and applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer, and a driving device providing a voltage to the plurality of pixel electrodes. The driving device has a nonvolatile storage element storing in advance a coefficient ? included in a function expressing a correlation between a temperature change amount in the liquid crystal layer and a variation in phase modulation amount in the liquid crystal layer, and performs a calculation for correcting a level of voltage by use of a temperature indicated by the temperature signal and the coefficient ?.

Abstract: In an aberration-correcting method according to an embodiment of the present invention, in an aberration-correcting method for a laser irradiation device 1 which focuses a laser beam on the inside of a transparent medium 60, aberration of a laser beam is corrected so that a focal point of the laser beam is positioned within a range of aberration occurring inside the medium. This aberration range is not less than n×d and not more than n×d+?s from an incidence plane of the medium 60, provided that the refractive index of the medium 60 is defined as n, a depth from an incidence plane of the medium 60 to the focus of the lens 50 is defined as d, and aberration caused by the medium 60 is defined as ?s.

Abstract: A light control device 1 includes a light source 10, a prism 20, a spatial light modulator 30, a drive unit 31, a control unit 32, a lens 41, an aperture 42, and a lens 43. The spatial light modulator 30 is a phase modulating spatial light modulator, includes a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed pixels, is capable of phase modulation in each of these pixels in a range of 4?, and presents a phase pattern to modulate the phase of light in each of the pixels. This phase pattern is produced by superimposing a blazed grating pattern for light diffraction with a phase modulation range of 2? or less and a phase pattern having a predetermined phase modulation distribution with a phase modulation range of 2? or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a phase modulating apparatus capable of highly accurately and easily correcting the phase modulation characteristic of a reflective electric address spatial light modulator even when a condition of input light is changed. In the LCOS phase modulating apparatus, an input unit inputs the condition of the input light, and a processing unit sets an input value for each pixel. A correction value deriving unit determines a correction condition according to the condition of the input light. A control input value converting unit converts the input value set for each pixel into a corrected input value based on the correction condition. An LUT processing unit converts the corrected input value into a voltage value, and drives each pixel by using a drive voltage equivalent to the converted voltage value.