Importance

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Abstract

A holographic element, which can be manufactured without the use of an anisotropic material and comprises a corrugated surface configuration whose grooves and ridges have moderate depth and height corresponding to the pitch of the corrugated surface configuration, is provided together with a method of manufacturing same. The holographic element is for switching light paths in dependence on the polarization directions of an incident light and comprises a plurality of regions formed substantially periodically on a substrate, by which regions the transmitted light has different phase differences between its polarization components as a whole. Within one cycle of the substantially periodically formed regions, at least one of the regions is such a region in which a corrugated configuration of one-dimensional structure with a pitch not greater than the wavelength of the incident light is formed. Each region, in which the corrugated configuration is formed, is coated by a multilayer film composed of a plurality of layers which are made of isotropic materials of different refractive indices and laminated in such a manner that the refractive index in the film varies periodically across a thickness thereof.

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First Claim