OPTICAL MEMORY DEVICE AND OPTICAL OPERATION DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new type optical memory device by using an element which excites surface plasmon resonance. SOLUTION: A surface plasmon element 10 is produced by using a dielectric block 1 arranged in such a manner that the driving light 15 having uniform intensity propagates in the block to be incident on the one face 1a at a total reflection angle, forming a metal film 2 on one face 1a of the dielectric block 1, and forming an optically functional film 3 which changes its refractive index by irradiation of light on the metal film 2 so as to accept irradiation of spatially modulated signal light H. When the optical functional film 3 is irradiated with the signal light H, the driving light 15 reflected by the face 1a is made incident on the optical functional film 3 by the optical system 30, 31, 32, 33.