OPTICAL ELEMENT HAVING POLARIZATION DEPENDENCE ON INCIDENT LIGHT, FOR VARYING FOCUSED LIGHT PATTERN

摘要

Provided is an optical device with variable focused beam pattern depending on polarization of an incident beam. The optical device with variable focused beam pattern includes a first lens structure which is configured by arranging first lenticular lenses which are formed with liquid crystals or liquid crystal polymers having a first extraordinary refractive index axis direction and of which longitudinal axes are aligned with a first alignment direction, and a second lens structure which is laminated on a beam emitting surface of the first lens structure and configured by arranging second lenticular lenses which are formed with liquid crystals or liquid crystal polymers having a second extraordinary refractive index axis direction and of which longitudinal axes are aligned with a second alignment direction, wherein a beam pattern of output light output from the second lens structure is determined according to a polarization direction of the incident beam incident on the first lens structure, the first and second extraordinary refractive index axis directions of the first and second lens structures, and the first and second alignment directions of the first and second lens structures.