Abstract: A micromachine and a manufacturing method are provided for a micromachine that has a dynamic first microstructured portion serving as a drive portion, and a static second microstructured portion adapted to perform a switching function and which functions as an optical element. The second microstructured portion can be manufactured at least without complex steps, such as a silicon process, by forming a static second microstructure on the dynamic first microstructured portion, or in such a way as to be overlaid thereon by mold transfer. Thus, the microstructured portion of a complex shape can be easily formed with good reproducibility. When a plurality of elements are arranged in an array, similarly as in the case of a spatial light modulator, the stable reproduction thereof is achieved by the mold transfer. Thus, as compared with the case of manufacturing all elements in a silicon process, the probability of an occurrence of a defect is very low.

Abstract: An illumination device includes: an integrator that transmits light from an incident side thereof to an emitting side thereof; a light source that supplies the light to the incident side of the integrator, the light source including a reflector and a lamp located on a center axis of the reflector; and a center mirror located on a line connecting the center the incident side of the integrator and the lamp, the center mirror being capable of reflecting light from the integrator back to the integrator. The center mirror has a smaller diameter than that of an opening of the reflector.

Abstract: An optical switching device comprises: a light guide including a total reflection plane capable of totally reflecting light thereby transmitting the light; a switching part capable of, at a position where its extraction plane is in close contact with the total reflection plane, capturing evanescent light and reflecting the captured light thereby outputting it; and a driving part for driving the optical switching part. The light guide, the switching part, and the driving part are laminated in this order into a multilayer structure. The employment of the multilayer structure makes it possible to optimize the respective layers independently of one another. The extracted light does not pass through the driving part. This allows the driving part to be optimized so as to achieve an optical switching device capable of operating at a high speed with low power consumption. Thus, it is possible to provide a low-loss and high-contrast optical switching device using an evanescent wave, which can respond at a high speed.

Abstract: An optical switching device comprises: a light guide including a total reflection plane capable of totally reflecting light thereby transmitting the light; a switching part capable of, at a position where its extraction plane is in close contact with the total reflection plane, capturing evanescent light and reflecting the captured light thereby outputting it; and a driving part for driving the optical switching part. The light guide, the switching part, and the driving part are laminated in this order into a multilayer structure. The employment of the multilayer structure makes it possible to optimize the respective layers independently of one another. The extracted light does not pass through the driving part. This allows the driving part to be optimized so as to achieve an optical switching device capable of operating at a high speed with low power consumption. Thus, it is possible to provide a low-loss and high-contrast optical switching device using an evanescent wave, which can respond at a high speed.

Abstract: An optical switching device comprises: a light guide including a total reflection plane capable of totally reflecting light thereby transmitting the light; a switching part capable of, at a position where its extraction plane is in close contact with the total reflection plane, capturing evanescent light and reflecting the captured light thereby outputting it; and a driving part for driving the optical switching part. The light guide, the switching part, and the driving part are laminated in this order into a multilayer structure. The employment of the multilayer structure makes it possible to optimize the respective layers independently of one another. The extracted light does not pass through the driving part. This allows the driving part to be optimized so as to achieve an optical switching device capable of operating at a high speed with low power consumption. Thus, it is possible to provide a low-loss and high-contrast optical switching device using an evanescent wave, which can respond at a high speed.