Cholesteric liquid crystal cell devices and systems
US6834137B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 5, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B6/3556
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Cholesteric liquid crystal cell units are used for reflecting or transmitting incident light responsive to control signals. A cholesteric liquid crystal cell unit has a first cholesteric liquid crystal cell and a second cholesteric liquid crystal cell. The second cholesteric liquid crystal cell respectively reflects or transmit lights from the first cholesteric liquid crystal cell responsive to a control signal when the first cholesteric liquid crystal cell reflects circularly polarized light of one state or transmits the incident light. In one embodiment of the cell unit, a &pgr;-phase waveplate element is located between the first and second cholesteric liquid crystal cells. With the cholesteric liquid crystal cell units, devices such as optical switches, and WDM add/drop multiplexers, and optical switch systems with arrays of input and output optical fibers between a switching matrix formed by the cholesteric liquid crystal cell units, may be constructed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.