The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 03, 2023
Filed:
Jun. 27, 2019
Merck Patent Gmbh, Darmstadt, DE;
John Clifford Jones, Leeds, GB;
Markus Wahle, Leeds, GB;
Merck Patent GmbH, Darmstadt, DE;
Abstract
An electrically switchable optical modulator for modulating an optical wavefront transmitted therethrough, comprising a birefringent first optical element and a birefringent second optical element each having respective ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices. A birefringent liquid crystal material is sandwiched between the first and second optical elements. The extraordinary refractive index of the liquid crystal material is electrically switchable between: a first state in which it has a first value; and, a second state in which it has a second value different from the first value. One or both of the first value and the second value is un-matched to the extraordinary refractive index of the first optical element in respect of light polarised in a first direction of linear polarisation, and is un-matched to the extraordinary refractive index of the second optical element in respect of light polarised in a second direction of linear polarisation orthogonal to the first direction. This switchably renders a relative contrast in extraordinary refractive index as between the liquid crystal material and the first and second optical elements for modulating said wavefront.