In a liquid crystal device, an electrode is provided between a pixel area of a first substrate and a seal material, and an AC signal is applied to the electrode where a potential with respect to a common potential applied to a common electrode as a reference potential is alternately switched between a positive polarity and a negative polarity. For the AC signal, a length of a positive polarity period where a polarity becomes positive with respect to the common potential and a length of a negative polarity period where a polarity becomes negative with respect to the common potential are different. When anionic impurities of a liquid crystal layer are focused, a positive polarity period length is greater than a negative polarity period length. When cationic impurities of the liquid crystal layer are focused, a negative polarity period length is greater than a positive polarity period length.

To provide an optical modulation element capable of suppressing electrode loss at a low frequency of 50 GHz or less, and suppressing radiation loss at a high frequency of 50 GHz or more. An optical modulation element comprises: a substrate; and at least one interaction part provided on the substrate. The interaction part includes: first and second optical waveguides formed adjacent to each other on the substrate; and first and second signal electrodes provided so as to oppose the first and second optical waveguides respectively. o ground electrode is provided in a nearby region of the interaction part, and a ground electrode is provided in the vicinity of at least one of an input part and a terminal part electrically connected to each of the first and second signal electrodes.

A Fresnel liquid crystal lens structure includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged oppositely, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer located therebetween, wherein the first electrode is a plate-shaped electrode, the second electrode includes concentric ring electrodes; concentric ring electrodes are divided into electrode groups in a first direction to divide the formed Fresnel liquid crystal lens into lens regions; each electrode group is divided into sub-electrode groups arranged periodically in a first direction to divide each lens region into sub-lens regions arranged periodically; and each sub-electrode group includes electrodes to form a sub-lens region having a step shape and the quantity of electrodes in a sub-electrode group within a different electrode set is different. A display device including the Fresnel liquid crystal lens structure and a method for driving a Fresnel liquid crystal lens are also provided.

A light modulator includes a base layer, a metal reflective layer formed on the base layer, a modulation layer of a nonlinear optical crystal formed on the reflective layer, and a conductive pattern layer including a plurality of pattern portions arranged periodically in a first direction and each extending in a second direction, and formed on the modulation layer. The modulation layer changes a reflectance for object light by changing a refractive index when a voltage is applied between the reflective layer and the conductive pattern layer. The light modulator outputs the object light being incident from an upper surface side of the modulation layer, transmitted through the modulation layer, and reflected by the reflective layer to the outside as modulated light with an intensity modulated by the reflectance change.

This disclosure relates to a spatial light modulator, etc., the spatial light modulator being capable of dynamically controlling the phase distribution of light, and provided with a structure having a smaller pixel arrangement period and suitable for high-speed operation. The spatial light modulator includes a substrate. The substrate has a front surface, a back surface, and through-holes arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally and penetrating between the front surface and the back surface. The spatial light modulator further includes layered structures each covering the inner walls of the through-holes. Each layered structure includes a first electroconductive layer on the inner wall, a dielectric layer on the first electroconductive layer and having optical transparency, and a second electroconductive layer on the dielectric layer and having optical transparency. At least one of the first and second electroconductive layers is electrically isolated for each group including one or more through-holes.

A glass with a function of regulation in sections includes a glass body and a conductive component. The glass body includes a glass substrate and a functional component attached to the glass substrate and divided into sections capable of being individually regulated. The conductive component is coupled to each section of the functional component. The conductive component includes a flexible printed circuit and a conductive adhesive. The flexible printed circuit includes a conductive trace electrically connected to each section of the functional component via the conductive adhesive to allow an individual regulation of each section of the functional component. The glass with a function of regulation in sections is capable of regulating a function of a target section of the functional component according to a user's instruction and an environmental parameter.

A liquid crystal apparatus includes a first pixel electrode in a display region, and a second pixel electrode and a circuit such as a scan line driving circuit outside the display region. A TFT provided corresponding to the second pixel electrode is separated from the circuit, and the second pixel electrode extends to the region that overlaps the circuit.

A problem is to provide a planar lightwave circuit optical device capable of facilitating mounting of connection to a printed circuit board and realizing downsizing of a device chip. A planar lightwave circuit optical device of the present invention is characterized by mounting an electrical connector (FPC connector) by means of soldering on an electrode pad of an electrical wire connected to an electrical drive unit (such as a heater) in a device formed by using a planar lightwave circuit (PLC).

In a liquid crystal device, a first pixel area is provided in a pixel area of a first substrate, and a second pixel area is provided between the first pixel area and a seal material. The first pixel area has a first pixel electrode to which an image signal is applied, the image signal having a potential alternately switching between a positive polarity and a negative polarity with reference to a first central potential. The second pixel area includes a second pixel electrode to which a first driving potential is applied, the first driving potential having a potential alternately switching between a positive polarity and a negative polarity with reference to a second central potential, the first central potential and the second central potential having a potential difference set therebetween. Therefore, ionic impurities can be efficiently swept from the first pixel area to the second pixel area.

A semiconductor Mach-Zehnder optical modulator includes input-side lead-out lines, phase modulation electrode lines, and electrodes that apply modulation signals propagating through the phase modulation electrode lines to waveguides, respectively. The semiconductor Mach-Zehnder optical modulator further includes a conductive layer between a substrate and the waveguides, a plurality of first wiring layers connected to the conductive layer, and a second wiring layer that connects an electrode pad and the plurality of first wiring layers.