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:
Nov. 16, 2004
Filed:
May. 12, 2003
William A. Noonan, Bethesda, MD (US);
Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Reston, VA (US);
Abstract
A spatial light modulator is disclosed which includes an electro-optic wafer, such as lithium niobate (LiNbO ) or PLZT, formed as an asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity with a totally reflecting dielectric mirror on its bottom face and a partially reflecting dielectric mirror on its top face. The electro-optic wafer is sandwiched between a transparent top electrode that forms a solid ground plane and a bottom electrode that is formed on a circuitry wafer and segmented into an array of electrode pads. Voltage source circuitry for each electrode is located immediately beneath the electrode in the circuitry wafer, which is bonded to the electro-optic wafer. Because the bottom electrode is segmented, a different voltage can be applied to each electrode so that the refractive index, and therefore the phase of an exiting light wave, can be spatially modulated.