Patent ID: 7995275

Claim:
A polarization conversion element, comprising: a plurality of polarization separation sections; a plurality of phase modulation sections, wherein a light flux that is input to each of the plurality of polarization separation sections is separated into transmission light and reflection light, and the reflection light of one polarization separation section is reflected again at a position of an adjacent polarization separation section, the position of the adjacent polarization separation section being different from a position where an adjacent light flux is input to the adjacent polarization separation section, and wherein each reflection light is output in substantially a same direction as that of the transmission light, and the phase modulation sections are disposed either on light paths of the transmission light or on light paths of the reflection light; and a plurality of parallelogram blocks whose surface to which light is input and whose surface from which the light is output are orthogonal to a light flux input axis and whose bonding surface to an adjacent parallelogram block has a gradient of approximately 60° relative to the light flux input axis, wherein each of the polarization separation sections is respectively disposed on the bonding surface of each of the parallelogram blocks and each of the phase modulation sections is respectively disposed parallel to each of the polarization separation sections so as to respectively face approximately a left-half region of an upper surface of each of the polarization separation sections of each of the parallelogram blocks.