LIGHT SOURCE, AND PROJECTION DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

Provided is a light source capable of solving the problem of an increase in etendue when converting random polarisation to a specific polarisation state. A periodic relief structure is formed in a second direction on the interface between a metallic layer (15) and a first cover layer (14), said relief structure acting as a surface plasmon excitation means for exciting surface plasmons using specific polarisation components of light incident from a light-emitting layer (13) which have a polarisation direction perpendicular to a first direction of the inner surface of the interface. Convexities (21A) in the relief structure extend in the first direction. Furthermore, a light generating means is formed on the interface between the metallic layer (15) and a second cover layer (16), said light generating means generating light, that has the same polarisation components as the specific polarisation components, from the surface plasmons generated at the interface between the metallic layer (15) and the first cover layer (14) in accordance with the surface plasmons excited by the surface plasmon excitation means using the specific polarisation components.