Patent ID: 6234639
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A polarization converter having a planar light guide element, in which at least one of front and rear surfaces thereof defines a light emission surface and one end surface defines an initial edge surface for an unpolarized light source, the light from the unpolarized light source propagating away from said initial edge surface in a principal guided-light direction within said planar light guide element so that light incident upon the initial edge surface can be emitted from the light emission surface, whereinat least one corrugated reflection surface is provided within the light guide element;said corrugated reflection surface defining a plurality of reflection surfaces arranged in the principal light guide direction;said corrugated reflection surface is formed by at least two adjacent optical media having different refractive indexes, andwherein said corrugated reflection surface is formed so that normal vectors of each of said plurality of reflection surfaces are within a normal plane, said normal plane formed by said normal vectors of said each surface portion in the same sectional plane.