Patent ID: 8189266

Claim:
An optical element comprising: a container including a first end face wall and a second end face wall facing each other, and forming a chamber provided between the first end face wall and the second end face wall; a first liquid enclosed in the chamber; a second liquid immiscible with the first liquid and enclosed in the chamber; a first electrode; and a second electrode, wherein, the shape of an interface between the first liquid and the second liquid is changed by the application of the voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a light transmission path, the center of which is a single virtual axis passing through the first end face wall and the second end face wall, is formed in a portion of the second liquid, the first electrode is provided at an inner surface of the first end face wall, the inner surface facing the chamber, and when viewed along the virtual axis, an opening having a diameter same as or larger than the maximum diameter of the transmission path, is provided in the first electrode.