| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spatial optical modulator in which contrast has been improved by eliminating an intermediate state of brightness and darkness due to outgoing light from the outside of an effective region where an optical modulation element is not provided in a pixel.SOLUTION: A pixel array 50 of a spatial optical modulator 10 in which a pixel including a spin injection magnetization reversal element 5 as an optical modulation element for optically rotating polarization to any angle of +&thetas;k, -&thetas;k is two-dimensionally arranged on a substrate 7 includes a magnetic layer 4 between elements for optically rotating polarization to the angle +&thetas;k in which a magnetization direction is fixed, between spin injection magnetization reversal elements 5, 5 in adjacent pixels. The magnetic layer 4 between elements is designed so that an interval with the spin injection magnetization reversal element 5 becomes shorter than diffraction limit of incident light. According to the spatial optical modulator 10, since all of light emitted from the pixel array 50 are light optically rotated to any angle of +&thetas;k, -&thetas;k with respect to the incident light, the light are not displayed in an intermediate state of brightness and darkness, and displayed at satisfactory contrast. |
