Patent · US Expired

Reflective optically active diffractive device

US5825448A · kind A · utility

215Cited by
3References
58Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 5, 1996
Grant dateOct 20, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F2203/48
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A reflective liquid crystalline diffractive light valve for use in a diffractive projection system. The liquid crystal cell includes a transparent substrate and a reflective substrate treated to provide alternating stripes which cooperate with the liquid crystal to form liquid crystal domains extending across the thickness of the cell that will produce an appropriate phase difference in light reflected by the cell, irrespective of the polarization of incident light. The techniques embodied in the present invention are applicable to the creation of electrically controllable diffractive optical elements for ray optic, integrated optic or fiber optic utilization operated in either transmission or reflection. Diffractive patterns may be lithographically, holographically or interferometrically generated.

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