Importance

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Abstract

The voltage signal applied between a conductive thin film (2) and a transparent conductive thin film (6) changes the aligning direction of a liquid crystal layer (5) near the surface of a waveguide layer (4) so that the refractive index of the liquid crystal (5) for waveguide light (8) is changed thereby to change the equivalent refractive index for the waveguide light (8), and thus the diffraction angle of the radiated light (9) from the waveguide layer (4) including the cyclic structure (3G) formed therein is also changed to deflect the radiated light. If the waveguide light (8) is propagated in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arrangement of the cyclic structure (3G), which is arranged in the form of a concentric circle, and the radiated light (9) from the waveguide layer (4) is focused at a focusing point outside the waveguide layer (4), the deflection of the radiated light (9), which is caused by applying a voltage signal between the conductive thin film (2) and the transparent conductive thin film (6), produces a displacement of the focusing point. In particular, if the conductive thin film (2) or the transparent conductive thin film (6) is divided into a large number of sections and voltage signals are individually applied to such sections, the focusing point (F) can be displaced to any optional point.

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First Claim