Electro-optic devices using Stark-induced birefringence and dichroism
US4291950A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 8, 1980 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 1981 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 8, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/0157
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Optical devices are disclosed which rely upon Stark-induced resonant, tunable, and saturable birefringence and dichroism to provide both digital and linear amplitude optical modulators, optical shutters, tunable optical filters, and optical cutoff limiters. A Stark cell is disposed along a light beam path between two crossed polarizers with its electric field direction at 45.degree. to the polarizer pass directions. The Stark cell contains a medium exhibiting a dichroic absorption resonance at a predetermined frequency as well as birefringence at frequencies slightly above and slightly below the frequency of the absorption resonance. By applying an appropriate control voltage between the Stark cell electrodes, an electric field is generated within the Stark cell to tune the absorption resonance to overlap the frequency of an input laser beam and thereby vary the transmission through the device from maximum near resonance to zero at frequencies far away from resonance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.