Illumination optical system and projection-type display apparatus

1. An illumination optical system for guiding a light emitted from a light source to an object to be illuminated along an optical path comprising:

a first reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is moving in a forward direction along the optical path to move away from the light source; and

a second reflecting mirror, disposed entirely between the light source and the first reflecting mirror, reflecting a part of a light which is reflected from the first reflecting mirror and moving in a reverse direction along the optical path to approach the light source;

wherein the first reflecting mirror has an opening that allows the other part of the light moving in the forward direction to pass therethrough and reach the object to be illuminated, and the second reflecting mirror has a window that allows the light emitted from the light source to pass therethrough, whereby an optical cavity is constituted by reflecting surfaces of the first and second reflecting mirrors that substantially face each other and cause light waves to resonate therebetween.

2. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , in which shapes of reflecting surfaces of the first and second reflecting mirrors and an alignment between the first and second reflecting mirrors are such as to enable the optical cavity to confine an illuminating light therein with which the object is illuminated.

3. An illumination optical system according to claim 2 , in which the first reflecting mirror is a plane mirror, the second reflecting mirror is a spherical mirror the reflecting surface of which faces the reflecting surface of the first reflecting mirror, the opening of the first reflecting mirror is formed in approximately a center of the first reflecting mirror, and the window of the second reflecting mirror is formed in approximately a center of the second reflecting mirror.

4. An illumination optical system according to claim 3 , in which a focal point of the second reflecting mirror is situated in the rear of a light-entering surface of the object to be illuminated when viewed from the second reflecting mirror.

5. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source for emitting a divergent light, and a light-collecting device for collecting the divergent light into the optical cavity through the window.

6. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , in which the object to be illuminated includes a reflective optical device.

7. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , in which the object to be illuminated allows a light moving in the reverse direction along the optical path within the object and to enter the optical cavity from the light-entering surface thereof.

8. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , further comprising a phase plate disposed in the optical path.

9. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , in which the object to be illuminated is a light valve, and the optical illumination optical system further comprises a light sensor for sensing intensity of a light in the optical path or the optical cavity, and a control device for controlling degree of light modulation on polarization direction in the light valve in accordance with the intensity sensed by the light sensor.

10. An illumination optical system according to claim 1 , further comprising a light sensor for sensing intensity of a light in the optical path or the optical cavity, a light shutter having a variable opening which the light emitted from the light source passes through, and a light intensity control device that controls opening of the light shutter in accordance with the intensity sensed by the light sensor.

11. An illumination optical system for guiding a light emitted from a light source to an object to be illuminated along an optical path comprising:

a first reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is moving in a forward direction along the optical path to move away from the light source;

a second reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is reflected from the first reflecting mirror and moving in a reverse direction along the optical path to approach the light sources,

wherein the first reflecting mirror has an opening that allows the other part of the light moving in the forward direction to pass therethrough and reach the object to be illuminated, and the second reflecting mirror has a window that allows the light emitted from the light source to pass therethrough, whereby an optical cavity is constituted by reflecting surfaces of the first and second reflecting mirrors that substantially face each other and cause light waves to resonate therebetween; and

a quarter wave plate and a reflective polarization separation device disposed within the optical cavity at right angles to the axis of the optical path.

12. An illumination optical system for guiding a light emitted from a light source to an object to be illuminated along an optical path comprising:

a first reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is moving in a forward direction along the optical path to move away from the light source;

a second reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is reflected from the first reflecting mirror and moving in a reverse direction along the optical path to approach the light source,

wherein the first reflecting mirror has an opening that allows the other part of the light moving in the forward direction to pass therethrough and reach the object to be illuminated, and the second reflecting mirror has a window that allows the light emitted form the light source to pass therethrough, whereby an optical cavity is constituted by the first and second reflecting mirrors,

a reflective polarization separator is disposed within the optical cavity at an angle to an axis of the optical path, and

a dichroic filter device is disposed within the optical cavity at an angle to the axis of the optical path.

13. An illumination optical system according to claim 12 , further comprising a unidirectionally-polarized light generator that receives the light emitted from the light source and generates a unidirectionally-polarized light to be input to the optical cavity through the window.

14. An illumination optical system according to claim 13 , in which the unidirectionally-polarized light generator includes: a reflective polarization-separation device for separating the light emitted from the light source into a first polarized light having a first polarization direction and a second polarized light having a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction, a polarization-direction shifting device for shifting the polarization direction of the second polarized light by 90 degrees to make a third polarized light having the first polarization direction, and a condensing device guiding the first and the third polarized lights to the optical cavity.

15. An illumination optical system according to claim 14 , in which the unidirectionally-polarized light generator includes: a reflective polarization-separation device for separating the light emitted from the light source into a first polarized light having a first polarization direction and a second polarized light having a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction, a mirror having the first polarized light and the second polarized light make approximately a right-angled turn in order to make a third polarized light and a fourth polarized light each of which is moving in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the first polarized light and a direction of movement of the second polarized light, and a condensing device guiding the third and fourth polarized lights to the optical cavity.

16. An illumination optical system according to claim 14 , in which the object to be illuminated is a light valve whose light-entering surface is rectangular, the light-receiving surface being irradiated with the first and third polarized lights with centers of the first and the third polarized lights being displaced from each other in a direction parallel to long sides of the light-entering surface.

17. An illumination optical system according to claim 15 , in which the object to be illuminated is a light valve whose light-entering surface is rectangular, the light-entering surface being irradiated with the third and fourth polarized lights with centers of the third and fourth polarized lights being displaced from each other in a direction parallel to long sides of the light-entering surface.

18. A projection-type display apparatus having an illumination optical system for guiding a light emitted from a light source to an object to be illuminated along an optical path, and a projection lens for projecting a light exiting from the object onto a screen, the object having light-modulating function, the illumination optical system comprising:

a first reflecting mirror reflecting a part of a light which is moving in a forward direction along the optical path to move away from the light source; and

a second reflecting mirror, disposed entirely between the light source and the first reflecting mirror, reflecting a part of a light which is reflected from the first reflecting mirror and moving in a reverse direction along the optical path to approach the light source;

wherein the first reflecting mirror has an opening that allows the other part of the light moving in the forward direction to pass therethrough and reach the object to be illuminated, and the second reflecting mirror has a window that allows the light emitted from the light source to pass therethrough, whereby an optical cavity is constituted by reflecting surfaces of the first and second reflecting mirrors that substantially face each other and cause light waves to resonate therebetween.