Patent · US Expired

Light modulation device and method of light modulation using the same

US5644416A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
12References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 25, 1992
Grant dateJul 1, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 25, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C13/041
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A light modulation device with high density, high sensitivity, and excellent stability while having a simple construction and a non-destructive memory reading method using the same are disclosed. The light modulation device comprises a high polymeric liquid crystal film comprising a uniaxially orientated side chain type high polymeric liquid crystal containing a photochromic compound, and it modulates light in the wavelength region in which the photochromic compound has no absorption by making use of a change in refractive index anisotropy of the high polymeric liquid crystal film which has been caused by photoisomerization of the photochromic compound. The device is useful as a stable and high-density optical computing device or an erasable optical memory material.

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