1. An electro-optic modulator comprising a block (1) of crystal having electro-optic properties, the block extending lengthways along a long axis and comprising a light guide (4) which extends between a light guide input and a light guide output, an electric modulation signal acting on an interaction zone of the block by means of coplanar electrodes (5) together with the light guide through the intermediary of a dielectric layer, the electrodes being disposed on a main long face of the block and the interaction zone being substantially elongated along the long axis, the light to be modulated arriving through an input optical fibre (2\u2032) connected to the light guide at the light guide input on a first face of the block, the modulated light leaving the modulator through an output optical fibre (2\u2033) connected to the light guide at the light guide output on a second face of the block, characterised in that the first face and the second face are one single face (D) which is parallel to the long axis, the light guide comprising two bends (11\u2032, 11\u2033) respectively between the light guide input and a first end of the interaction zone and between a second end of the interaction zone and the light guide output.
2. A modulator according to claim 1 characterised in that the optical fibres are connected to the block through the intermediary of ferrules (3\u2032, 3\u2033) polished with a connection angle between the ferrule and the block intended to suppress spurious reflections in the coupling zone.
3. A modulator according to claim 1 characterised in that the electrodes are terminated by two ends of remote electrodes, the electrode ends terminated along opposite edges (A, B) on the main face.
4. A modulator according to claim 1 characterised in that the electrodes are terminated by two ends of remote electrodes, the electrode ends terminated along the same edge (C) on the main face.
5. A modulator according to claim 1 characterised in that the optical guide comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the crystal is lithium niobate.
6. A modulator according to claim 1 characterised in that the block is in a case, each of the electrode ends is linked with a connector on the case.
7. A modulator according to claim 6 characterised in that an amplification electronic module is provided in the case between a connector and one of the electrode ends.
8. A modulator according to claim 6 characterised in that the modulator comprises moreover means for adjusting its electrical operating point comprising a photodiode intended to capture a complementary light field transmitted by the interferometer in the block, an electronic circuit and a set of counter-reaction electrodes provided on a section of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and provided outside the interaction zone with coplanar electrodes.
9. A production method of an electro-optic modulator comprising a block (1) of crystal having electro-optic properties, the block extending lengthways along a long axis and comprising a light guide (4) which extends between a light guide input and a light guide output, an electric modulation signal acting on an interaction zone of the block by means of coplanar electrodes (5) together with the light guide through the intermediary of a dielectric layer, the electrodes being disposed on a main long face of the block and the interaction zone being substantially elongated along the long axis, the light to be modulated arriving through an input optical fibre connected to the light guide at the light guide input on a first face of the block, the modulated light leaving the modulator through an output optical fibre connected to the light guide at the light guide output on a second face of the block characterised in that one single face (D) is implemented for the first face and the second face, which is parallel to the long axis and two bends are provided in the light guide respectively between the light guide input and a first end of the interaction zone and between a second end of the interaction zone and the light guide output, both bends being substantially symmetrical relative to one another.
10. A block (1) of crystal having electro-optic properties intended to be implemented in an electro-optic modulator, the block extending lengthways along a long axis and comprising a light guide (4) which extends between a light guide input and a light guide output, the block comprising coplanar electrodes (5) together with the light guide through the intermediary of a dielectric layer and intended to receive an electric modulation signal, the electrodes being disposed on a main long face of the block and comprising an interaction zone substantially elongated along the long axis, the light to be modulated arriving through an input optical fibre (2\u2032) connected to the light guide at the light guide input on a first face of the block, the modulated light leaving the modulator through an output optical fibre (2\u2033) connected to the light guide at the light guide output on a second face of the block, characterised in that the first face and the second face are one single face (D) which is parallel to the long axis, the light guide comprising two bends (11\u2032, 11\u2033) respectively between the light guide input and a first end of the interaction zone and between a second end of the interaction zone and the light guide output, both bends being substantially symmetrical relative to one another.
11. A modulator according to claim 2 characterised in that the electrodes are terminated by two ends of remote electrodes, the electrode ends terminated along opposite edges (A, B) on the main face.
12. A modulator according to claim 2 characterised in that the electrodes are terminated by two ends of remote electrodes, the electrode ends terminated along the same edge (C) on the main face.
13. A modulator according to claim 7 characterised in that the modulator comprises moreover means for adjusting its electrical operating point comprising a photodiode intended to capture a complementary light field transmitted by the interferometer in the block, an electronic circuit and a set of counter-reaction electrodes provided on a section of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and provided outside the interaction zone with coplanar electrodes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image-forming material comprising:
an image-receiving sheet comprising an image-receiving layer and a support; and
a thermal transfer sheet comprising a light-to-heat conversion layer, an image-forming layer and a support,
which is used with laser light, wherein at least one layer in at least one of the image-receiving sheet and the thermal transfer sheet comprises a copolymer comprising monomers represented by the following formulae (a), (b) and (c):
wherein R01 to R07 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbons, R1 represents a single bond or a liking group containing at least one of an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, R2 represents a single bond or a linking group containing at least one of a carbon atom, an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, n represents an integer of 1 to 20, m represents an integer of 2 to 14, and 1 represents an integer of 0 to 10.
2. The image-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the copolymer is contained in the image-forming layer.
3. The image-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the image-receiving sheet further comprises a cushion layer, and the copolymer is contained in at least one of the image-receiving layer and the cushion layer.
4. The image-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the image-receiving sheet further comprises a cushion layer, and the copolymer is contained in the image-forming layer and at least one of the image-receiving layer and the cushion layer.
5. The image-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the light-to-heat conversion layer comprises a polyimide resin as a binder and 50% by weight or more of N-methylpyrrolidone.
6. The image-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the laser light has a wavelength of 808 nm.
7. An image formation method which uses an image-receiving sheet comprising an image-receiving layer and a support, and yellow, magenta, cyan and black four thermal transfer sheets each comprising a light-to-heat conversion layer, an image-forming layer and a support,
the method comprising steps of:
superposing the image-forming layer of each thermal transfer sheet and the image-receiving layer to face each other;
irradiating laser light so as to transfer a region irradiated with laser light of the image-forming layer onto the image-receiving layer to record an image,
wherein at least one layer in at least one of the image-receiving sheet and the thermal transfer sheets comprises a copolymer comprising monomers represented by the following formulae (a), (b) and (c):
wherein R01 to R07 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbons, R1 represents a single bond or a liking group containing at least one of an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, R2 represents a single bond or a linking group containing at least one of a carbon atom, an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom and a sulfur atom, n represents an integer of 1 to 20, m represents an integer of 2 to 14, and 1 represents an integer of 0 to 10.
8. The image formation method according to claim 7, wherein the copolymer is contained in the image-forming layer.
9. The image formation method according to claim 7, wherein the image-receiving sheet further comprises a cushion layer, and the copolymer is contained in at least one of the image-receiving layer and the cushion layer.
10. The image formation method according to claim 7, wherein the image-receiving sheet further comprises a cushion layer, and the copolymer is contained in the image-forming layer and at least one of the image-receiving layer and the cushion layer.
11. The image formation method according to claim 7, wherein the light-to-heat conversion layer comprises a polyimide resin as a binder and 50% by weight or more of N-methylpyrrolidone.
12. The image formation method according to claim 7, wherein the laser light has a wavelength of 808 nm.