Abstract: The thermoelectric conversion element according to the present disclosure comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer, and a thermoelectric conversion layer. The first intermediate layer is provided between the thermoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode. The first intermediate layer is in contact with the thermoelectric conversion layer. The first electrode is in contact with the first intermediate layer. The second intermediate layer is provided between the thermoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode. The second intermediate layer is in contact with the thermoelectric conversion layer. The second electrode is in contact with the second intermediate layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are composed of a CuZn alloy. The thermoelectric conversion layer is composed of a thermoelectric conversion material containing Mg.

Abstract: An actuator device comprises an actuator wire, a net-shaped heating element which covers a side surface of the actuator wire and comprises heating wires, and a controller for supplying electric power to the net-shaped heating element to heat the net-shaped heating element. The actuator wire is contracted by application of heat and restored by release of the heat. The side surface of the actuator wire is formed of a polymer. One end of the net-shaped heating element is connected to an end of the actuator wire. Another end of the net-shaped heating element is connected to another end of the actuator wire. Each of the heating wires comprises an insulative first elastic yarn and a metal wire. The metal wire are helically wound onto the first elastic yarn. When the net-shaped heating element is not heated, the net-shaped heating element is in contact with the side surface of the actuator wire.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a thermoelectric conversion module that enables continued use of a thermoelectric generation system even when a part of a plurality of the thermoelectric conversion modules fails by being exposed to a higher temperature. The thermoelectric conversion module according to the present disclosure includes a substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion element pairs electrically connected in series on the substrate, a pair of external terminals that carries out one of inputting and outputting of electric power, and a low melting point conductor. The low melting point conductor has a melting point that is substantially equal to a heat-resistant temperature of a p-type thermoelectric conversion element or an n-type thermoelectric conversion element.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator device comprising an actuator wire; a net-shaped electric heating element which covers a side surface of the actuator wire and comprises heating wires; and a controller for supplying electric power to the net-shaped electric heating element to heat the net-shaped electric heating element. The actuator wire is capable of being contracted by application of heat and restored by release of heat. The side surface of the actuator wire is formed of polymer. One end and the other end of the net-shaped electric heating element is connected to one end and the other end of the actuator wire, respectively. The net-shaped electric heating element is in contact with the side surface of the actuator wire, when the net-shaped electric heating element is not heated. The net-shaped electric heating element is moved outward from the side surface of the actuator wire due to contraction of the actuator wire, when the net-shaped electric heating element is heated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator, comprising a fiber and a temperature regulator capable of at least one of heating and cooling the fiber. The fiber is twisted around a longitudinal axis thereof. The fiber is folded so as to have a shape of a cylindrical coil. The fiber is formed of linear low-density polyethylene. The following mathematical formula (I) is satisfied: D/d<1 (I), where D represents a mean diameter of the cylindrical coil; and d represents a diameter of the fiber.

Abstract: The actuator device according to the present invention comprises an actuator and an AC power supply capable of applying a high-frequency voltage to the actuator. The actuator comprises a flexible tube formed of a polymer, an inner electrode, and an outer electrode. In a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the flexible tube, the inner electrode is in contact with at least a part of an inner periphery of the flexible tube. In the cross section, a part of an outer periphery of the flexible tube is coated with the outer electrode. In operation, the AC power supply applies a high-frequency voltage having a frequency of not less than 1 MHz to the actuator to deform the actuator in a direction from the inner electrode toward the outer electrode in the cross section. The AC power supply stops the application of the high-frequency voltage to the actuator to return the actuator to the original position thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator device comprising an actuator wire; a net-shaped electric heating element which covers a side surface of the actuator wire and comprises heating wires; and a controller for supplying electric power to the net-shaped electric heating element to heat the net-shaped electric heating element. The actuator wire is capable of being contracted by application of heat and restored by release of heat. The side surface of the actuator wire is formed of polymer. One end and the other end of the net-shaped electric heating element is connected to one end and the other end of the actuator wire, respectively. The net-shaped electric heating element is in contact with the side surface of the actuator wire, when the net-shaped electric heating element is not heated. The net-shaped electric heating element is moved outward from the side surface of the actuator wire due to contraction of the actuator wire, when the net-shaped electric heating element is heated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator, comprising a fiber and a temperature regulator capable of at least one of heating and cooling the fiber. The fiber is twisted around a longitudinal axis thereof. The fiber is folded so as to have a shape of a cylindrical coil. The fiber is formed of linear low-density polyethylene. The following mathematical formula (I) is satisfied: D/d<1 (I), where D represents a mean diameter of the cylindrical coil; and d represents a diameter of the fiber.

Abstract: An optical microphone includes: an acousto-optic medium section having a pair of principal surfaces and at least one lateral surface provided therebetween; a restraint section which is in contact with the at least one lateral surface for preventing a shape change of the acousto-optic medium section; and a light emitting section for emitting a light wave so as to propagate through the acousto-optic medium section between the pair of principal surfaces. The pair of principal surfaces are in contact with an environmental fluid through which an acoustic wave to be detected is propagating and are capable of freely vibrating, and an optical path length variation of a light wave propagating through the acousto-optic medium section, which is caused by the acoustic wave that comes into the acousto-optic medium section from at least one of the pair of principal surfaces and propagates through the acousto-optic medium section, is detected.

Abstract: An optical microphone for detecting an acoustic wave propagating through an environmental fluid by using a light wave, includes: an acoustic wave receiving section having a propagation medium portion through which an acoustic wave propagate and a first support portion for supporting the propagation medium portion; a light source for outputting a light wave so that the light wave passes through the propagation medium portion across the acoustic wave propagating through the propagation medium portion; a light-blocking portion having an edge line for splitting the light wave having passed through the propagation medium portion into a blocked portion and a non-blocked portion; and a photoelectric conversion section for receiving a portion of the light wave having passed through the propagation medium portion which has not been blocked by the light-blocking portion to output an electric signal.

Abstract: A porous silica material disclosed in the present application is a porous silica material in which a plurality of silica particles are connected to one another three-dimensionally, wherein: a density of the porous silica material is less than 220 kg/m3; a particle diameter of the silica particles is 3.5 nm or more; and the water content of the porous silica material is 8 wt % or less.

Abstract: A porous silica material in which silica particles are connected to one another three-dimensionally, wherein: the porous silica material includes a through hole including first pores smaller than a mean free path of an air, and second pores larger than the first pores; the porous silica material has a density of 100 kg/m3 or more and 300 kg/m3 or less; and an isobutyl group is bound to silicon of silica of the silica particles.

Abstract: An optical microphone includes: a light source; a first polarizer for allowing linearly-polarized light, of light output from the light source, to pass therethrough; a second polarizer for allowing linearly-polarized light having a different polarization plane from the first polarizer to pass therethrough; a sound-receiving section including an acoustic medium having a smaller sound velocity than the air, wherein an acoustic signal propagates through the acoustic medium, the sound-receiving section being arranged so that the linearly-polarized light from the first polarizer passes through the acoustic medium and enters the second polarizer; and a photodetector for converting an intensity of light having passed through the second polarizer to an electric signal, wherein between the first polarizer and the second polarizer, the linearly-polarized light having passed through the first polarizer is given different phase shifts in two orthogonal directions which are each different from a polarization direction.

Abstract: An optical microphone includes: a propagation medium portion; a light source to output a light wave passing through the propagation medium portion across the acoustic wave propagating through the propagation medium portion; a reflecting section to retroreflect the light wave having passed through the propagation medium portion; and a photoelectric conversion section to receive the light wave having been reflected by the reflecting section and passed through the propagation medium portion to output an electric signal. 0th-order, +1st-order and ?1st-order diffracted light waves are respectively produced on outward and return paths, by virtue of a refractive index distribution across the propagation medium portion caused by the propagation of the acoustic wave therethrough. The photoelectric conversion section detects interference light between the +1st-order or ?1st-order diffracted light wave of the outward path and the ?1st-order or +1st-order diffracted light wave of the return path.

Abstract: An acousto-optic image capture device includes: an acoustic wave source to irradiating an object with an acoustic wave; an acoustic lens system which transforms a scattered wave from the object into a plane acoustic wave; an acousto-optic medium portion which is arranged so that the scattered wave transmitted through the acoustic lens system is incident there; a light source to emit a light beam in which monochromatic rays of light with different traveling directions are superposed and which is incident on the acousto-optic medium portion; an imaging lens system which condenses diffracted rays of light of the plane wave monochromatic rays of light produced by the acousto-optic medium portion; and an image receiving member which detects the rays of light condensed by the imaging lens system to output an electrical signal. The acoustic lens system includes at least two reflecting mirrors.

Abstract: There is provided an optical microphone for detecting an acoustic wave propagating in an ambient fluid, the optical microphone including: a propagation medium section; a light source for emitting a light wave to be transmitted through a diffraction region in the propagation medium section; and a photoelectric conversion section for detecting the light wave having been transmitted through the propagation medium section. A first acoustic wave which is a portion of the acoustic wave and a second acoustic wave which is another portion thereof are allowed to propagate in the propagation medium section so as to simultaneously arrive at the diffraction region, and an interference component between a +1st order diffracted light wave and a ?1st order diffracted light wave of the light wave generated based on a refractive index distribution of the propagation medium occurring in the diffraction region.

Abstract: An acousto-optic image capture device includes: an acoustic beam source, an acoustic lens system; an acousto-optic medium portion arranged on the path of the scattered wave transmitted through the acoustic lens system; a light source that emits a light beam including monochromatic rays of light toward the acousto-optic medium portion obliquely; an imaging lens system that condenses diffracted rays of light produced by the acousto-optic medium; and an image receiving section that detects the rays of light condensed by the imaging lens system. The acoustic lens system includes at least a telecentric acoustic system and a sound-collecting acoustic system arranged on the image space. The distance between acoustic systems is equal to the sum of the respective focal lengths of the telecentric acoustic system and the sound-collecting acoustic system. The light beam is transmitted at the focal point of the sound-collecting acoustic system through the acousto-optic medium portion.

Abstract: An acousto-optic imaging device includes: an ultrasonic wave transmitter for transmitting a divergent ultrasonic wave into a subject; an acoustic lens for converging a reflection ultrasonic wave derived from the ultrasonic wave from the subject; an acousto-optic cell including an acousto-optic propagation medium section which has a smaller sound velocity than the subject and through which the reflection ultrasonic wave converged by the acoustic lens propagates; a light source for emitting convergent light so as to irradiate the reflection ultrasonic wave propagating through the acousto-optic propagation medium section in a direction not parallel to a traveling direction of the reflection ultrasonic wave; and an image formation optical system for detecting Bragg diffracted light of the convergent light which is produced in the acousto-optic propagation medium section and converting the detected Bragg diffracted light to an electric signal.

Abstract: An acousto-optic vibrometer includes: an acoustic wave source to irradiating an object with an acoustic wave; an acoustic lens system which places a scattered wave from the object into a predetermined converged state; an acousto-optic medium portion in which the scattered wave transmits; a sensing light source to emit a sensing light beam in which monochromatic rays of light with different traveling directions are superposed and which is incident on the acousto-optic medium portion; a reference light source to emit a reference light beam in which monochromatic rays of light with different traveling directions are superposed and which is to be superposed on sensing light beam based diffracted light produced by the acousto-optic medium portion; an imaging lens system which converges the diffracted light on which the reference light beam is superposed; and an image receiving section which senses the light converged by the imaging lens system.

Abstract: A moisture content fluctuation detection device including: a silica aerogel placed, disposed to a measurement object space; and a detection unit configured to detect fluctuation in moisture content within the measurement object space, the detection unit including: a light source configured to emit light to the silica aerogel, the light having at least a portion of a range of wavelengths of 1850 nm or greater and 1970 nm or less; a light receiving unit configured to receive the light which has passed through the silica aerogel and has at least a portion of the range of wavelengths of 1850 nm or greater and 1970 nm or less; and a calculation unit configured to calculate the fluctuation in moisture content within the measurement object space from change in light intensity of the light received by the light receiving unit.