POLARIZATION CONTROL DEVICE, NEAR-FIELD LIGHT SOURCE, AND PARALLEL ELECTRON BEAM DEVICE

摘要

A polarization control device (10) for converting linearly polarized light to axially symmetrical polarized light includes a translucent substrate (20), and a polarization converting section that includes a plurality of wavelength plates (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) configured with a plurality of metals (22) that are disposed in a plurality of division areas obtained by dividing the substrate (20) radially, that are extended in different directions in the plurality of division areas with slits (24) being formed therebetween, and that have the extension directions in which, when the extension direction in one of the plurality of division areas is used as the reference, the angle formed between the extension direction in an adjacent division area and the reference extension direction is increased or decreased in the circumferential direction.