Electro-optical devices using dynamic reconfiguration of effective electrode structures
US8028473B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 2, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 2, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/24
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Variable liquid crystal devices for controlling the propagation of light through a liquid crystal layer use a frequency dependent material to dynamically reconfigure effective electrode structures in the device. The frequency of a drive signal that generates an electric field in the device may be varied, and the frequency dependent material has different charge mobilities for the different frequencies. At a low charge mobility, the frequency dependent material has little effect on the existing electrode structures. However, at a high charge mobility, the frequency dependent material appears as an extension of the fixed electrodes, and may be used to change the effective electrode structure and, thereby, the spatial profile of the electric field. This, in turn, changes the optical properties of the liquid crystal, thus allowing the optical device to be frequency controllable.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.