Solid-state displacement element, optical element, and interference filter

• US 6,400,489 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Yuichi, Suzuki, Masayuki, Nishimura, Teiichiro, Ami, Takaaki, Nagasawa, Naomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zimmer, Marc S.
• Application Number:
  US09/610,583
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 252/582, 428/704, 204/157.15, 359/241
• US Class Current: 359/241
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0126 Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133362 Optically addressed liquid crystal cells G02F1/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/21 by interference
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/216 using liquid crystals, e.g. liquid crystal Fabry-Perot filters

Abstract

A solid-state displacement element includes an inorganic layered compound having a layered structure and an organic substance inserted between layers of the inorganic layered compound. The solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound when irradiated with controlling light. An optical element and an interference filter using the same principle of expansion or contraction as that in the solid-state displacement element are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A solid-state displacement element comprising an inorganic layered compound having a plurality of inorganic layers and an organic substance intercalated between the inorganic layers, wherein the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound when irradiated with controlling light.

2. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 1, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the arrangement of the organic compound changes in the direction of an electric field of the irradiated controlling light, and the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes in the arrangement of the organic compound.

3. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 2, wherein the controlling light is applied to the solid-state displacement element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound.

4. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 2, wherein when linearly polarized controlling light is applied to the solid-state displacement element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound, the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound depending on the direction of the electric field of the linearly polarized light.

5. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 1, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the molecular structure or the conformation of the organic compound changes depending on the wavelength of the irradiated controlling light, and the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes in the structure or the conformation of the organic compound.

6. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 5, wherein when controlling light having a first wavelength, is applied to the solid-state displacement element, the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a first expansion state;

when controlling light having a second wavelength is applied to the solid-state displacement element, the solid-state displacement element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a second expansion state that is different from the first expansion state;

the solid-state displacement element remains in the first expansion state until the controlling light having the second wavelength is applied to the solid-state displacement element; and

the solid-state displacement element remains in the second expansion state until the controlling light having the first wavelength is applied to the solid-state displacement element.

7. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 1, wherein the organic substance comprises at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of an organic compound having at least one of an aliphatic carbon-carbon bond, an aromatic ring, and a heterocyclic ring, wherein at least a part of hydrogen atoms directly bonded to any one of carbon atoms may be replaced by nitrogen or sulfur, and an organic compound in which at least a part of hydrogen atoms directly bonded to carbon atoms constituting a carbon compound is replaced by nitrogen or sulfur.

8. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 7, wherein the organic substance comprises at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of a chiral liquid crystal, a phenylpyrimidine-based liquid crystal, a phenylpyridine-based liquid crystal, an amine-based liquid crystal, a biphenylpyrimidine-based liquid crystal, an azobenzene-based compound, a porphyrin-based compound, an anthraquinone-based compound, a spiropyran-based compound, a diarylethene-based compound, a stilbene-based compound, a fulgide-based compound, urea, and carbon disulfide.

9. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 7, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound and the conformation or the molecular structure of the organic compound can be changed.

10. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 7, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound having a polar functional group.

11. A solid-state displacement element according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic layered compound or the inorganic layered compound as a starting material before the organic substance is intercalated between the inorganic layers comprises at least one inorganic layered compound selected from the group consisting of a layered perovskite-type niobium-based compound, a layered perovskite-type copper-based compound, a layered titanoniobate, a layered rock salt-type oxide, a bronze-based compound in a transition metal oxide, a transition metal oxychloride, a layered polysilicate, a layered clay mineral, a hydrotalcite, a transition metal chalcogenide, a zirconium phosphate, and graphite.

12. An optical element comprising an inorganic layered compound having a plurality of inorganic layers and an organic substance intercalated between the inorganic layers, wherein when controlling light is applied to the optical element, the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound, thus modulating the polarization of transmitted light passing through the optical element.

13. An optical element according to claim 12, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the arrangement of the organic compound changes in the direction of an electric field of the applied controlling light, and the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes of the arrangement of the organic compound.

14. An optical element according to claim 13, wherein the controlling light is applied to the optical element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound.

15. An optical element according to claim 13, wherein when linearly polarized controlling light is applied to the optical element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound, the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound depending on the direction of the electric field of the linearly polarized light.

16. An optical element according to claim 12, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the molecular structure or the conformation of the organic compound changes depending on the wavelength of the applied controlling light, and the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes in the structure or the conformation of the organic compound.

17. An optical element according to claim 16, wherein when controlling light having a first wavelength is applied to the optical element, the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a first expansion state;

when controlling light having a second wavelength is applied to the optical element, the optical element expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a second expansion state that is different from the first expansion state;

the optical element remains in the first expansion state until the controlling light having the second wavelength is applied to the optical element; and

the optical element remains in the second expansion state until the controlling light having the first wavelength is applied to the optical element.

18. An optical element according to claim 12, wherein the transmitted light passing through the optical element enters substantially in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound constituting the optical element and is linearly polarized.

19. An interference filter for transmitting or reflecting light in a predetermined wavelength region, the interference filter comprising a multilayered film comprising a dielectric material and a solid-state displacement thin film disposed between layers of the multilayered film,

wherein the solid-state displacement thin film comprises an inorganic layered compound having a plurality of inorganic layers and an organic substance intercalated between the inorganic layers;

and

when controlling light is applied to the interference filter, the solid-state displacement thin film expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound, and a dielectric constant tensor thereof changes, and thus the wavelength region of light passing through or reflected from the interference filter changes.

20. An interference filter according to claim 19, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the arrangement of the organic compound changes in the direction of an electric field of the applied controlling light, and the interference filter expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes of the arrangement of the organic compound.

21. An interference filter according to claim 20, wherein the controlling light is applied to the interference filter in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound.

22. An interference filter according to claim 20, wherein when linearly polarized controlling light is applied to the interference filter in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound, the interference filter expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound depending on the direction of the electric field of the linearly polarized light.

23. An interference filter according to claim 19, wherein the organic substance comprises an organic compound, the molecular structure or the conformation of the organic compound changes depending on the wavelength of the applied controlling light, and the interference filter expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound in response to changes in the structure or the conformation of the organic compound.

24. An interference filter according to claim 23, wherein when controlling light having a first wavelength is applied to the interference filter, the interference filter expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a first expansion state;

when controlling light having a second wavelength is applied to the interference filter, the interference filter expands or contracts in the lamination direction of the inorganic layered compound to be in a second expansion state that is different from the first expansion state;

the interference filter remains in the first expansion state until the controlling light having the second wavelength is applied to the interference filter; and

the interference filter remains in the second expansion state until the controlling light having the first wavelength is applied to the interference filter.