POLARIZATION DIRECTION ALIGNING ELEMENT

摘要

PURPOSE: To improve light conversion efficiency of the case where nonpolarized light is converted to prescribed linearly polarized light while the compact constitution of an optical system is made possible by adopting the constitution to refract the two polarized light rays separated by a polarization beam splitter respectively perpendicularly by reflection prisms. CONSTITUTION: The P polarized light 14A' transmits a working surface (vapor deposited film surface) 11A and is reflected at the reflection surface 12A of the first total reflection prism 12. This light is emitted as the first P polarized light 14A from the front face 12B of the first total reflection prism 12. The one S polarized light 14B' is reflected upward at the working surface 11A and is further reflected forward at the refection surface 13A of the second total reflection prism 13, by which the plane of polarization is rotated 90 deg.. This light is emitted as the second P polarized light 14B from the front surface 13B of the second total reflection prism 13.