Patent · US Expired

Optical information processor employing a phase type spatial light modulator

US5579136A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
1References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 3, 1995
Grant dateNov 26, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 3, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03H2225/32
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In an optical information processor, phase-type spatial modulation of light is achieved by placing a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell between two polarizers, such that a direction of alignment of liquid crystal molecules at an input side of the liquid crystal cell is parallel to a transmission access of a first one of the polarizers, and such that a direction of alignment liquid crystal molecules at an output side of the liquid crystal cell is parallel to a transmission access of a second one of the polarizers. Also, phase modulation which is substantially free from amplitude variations can be realized by placing two twisted nematic liquid crystal cells between two polarizers. In such an arrangement, a direction of alignment of the liquid crystal molecules at an input side of a first liquid crystal cell is parallel to a transmission access of a first polarizer, and a direction of alignment of liquid crystal molecules at an output side of the first liquid crystal cell is perpendicular to a direction of alignment of the liquid crystal molecules at an input side of the second liquid crystal cell. The direction of alignment of the liquid crystal molecules of the second liquid crysta…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.