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:
Jul. 21, 1992
Filed:
Feb. 05, 1991
Jayantilal S Patel, Red Bank, NJ (US);
Andrew M Weiner, Eatontown, NJ (US);
Bell Communications Research, Inc., Livingston, NJ (US);
Abstract
A liquid-crystal phase modulator array, comprising a planar electrode on one glass support and an array of finger electrodes on the other glass support with a nematic liquid filling the gap between the two supports. The alignment layer between the finger electrodes and the liquid crystal is rubbed to have an alignment direction extending along the finger electrodes and prependicular to the gap between them. The alignment layer between the planar electrode and the liquid crystal is rubbed in the anti-parallel direction. Voltages are selectively applied to different ones of the finger electrodes to provide a phase modulator array for light passing through the assembly. The alignment direction of the invention eliminates ragged edges adjacent the edges of the finger electrodes arising from an instability. Thereby, the finger electrodes can be made much narrower, and more pixels can be included in the array. The phase modulator of the invention can be advantageously used in a Fourier optical pulse shaper.