Patent · US Expired

Retarder stack for preconditioning light for a modulator having modulation and isotropic states of polarization

US5929946A · kind A · utility

266Cited by
52References
65Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 1997
Grant dateJul 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N5/7441
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A retarder stack for preconditioning at least partially polarized light for input to a modulator includes a first retarder and the second retarder. The first retarder has a first retardance and a first orientation with respect to the partially polarized light and the second retarder has a second retardance and a second orientation with respect to the partially polarized light. The first retarder and second retarder are oriented with respect to each other and the first retardance and the second retardance are selected such that the light output from the second retarder includes a first portion of light and a second portion of light which, if input to a modulator, would be modulated differently. Hence, the retarder stack can be used to precondition light for input to a modulator such as an electro-optic, magneto-optic or other type of modulator.

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