LASER PRINTER EMPLOYING SPATIAL OPTICAL MODULATOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser printer in which the optical system and a total inner reflection(TIR) type modulator are designed suitably for forming a high density print spot when a laser light source is coherent partially. SOLUTION: A laser printer employing a total inner reflection type spatial optical modulator is optimized to be shared with a partially coherent laser light source. The laser light source is a laser diode array 11 having a plurality of multi-mode emitter 12. A spatial optical modulator 40 diffracts the light from that laser light source according to an applied electric field. A spatial filter 90 having a slit 91 passes a specific diffracted light corresponding to the applied electric field. That light is eventually focused on an image plane 100 through a focus lens 83.