Liquid crystal light modulation device
First Claim
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1. A liquid crystal liquid modulation device comprising:
- a first substrate and a second substrate;
said first substrate having a light-incident side for receiving incident light and a facing side facing said second substrate, said second substrate having a facing side facing said facing side of said first substrate, and said facing sides of said first and second substrates being parallel with each other and spaced a predetermined distance from each other;
an optical element having plural portions, and liquid crystals, said portions of said optical element and said liquid crystals being alternately arranged between said first and second substrates, the heights of said portions of said optical element and said liquid crystals in a direction normal to said facing sides being substantially the same, and said liquid crystals being separated from one another by the intervening portions of said optical element; and
control means for changing the refractive index of said liquid crystals, said control means causing said liquid crystals selectively to have at least two refractive indexes, one of said refractive indexes being substantially the same as that of said optical element and the other of said refractive indexes being different from that of said optical element so as to form a diffraction grating by said alternatively arranged liquid crystals and portions of said optical element.
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Abstract
A liquid crystal light modulation device conprises a pair of substrates at least one of which is transparent, a diffraction grating formed between or on at least one of the substrates, a liquid crystal arranged between fine grooves of the diffraction grating, and control means for changing the orientation of the liquid crystal which has been oriented in a predetermined state by the grooves of the diffraction grating.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal liquid modulation device comprising:
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a first substrate and a second substrate;
said first substrate having a light-incident side for receiving incident light and a facing side facing said second substrate, said second substrate having a facing side facing said facing side of said first substrate, and said facing sides of said first and second substrates being parallel with each other and spaced a predetermined distance from each other;an optical element having plural portions, and liquid crystals, said portions of said optical element and said liquid crystals being alternately arranged between said first and second substrates, the heights of said portions of said optical element and said liquid crystals in a direction normal to said facing sides being substantially the same, and said liquid crystals being separated from one another by the intervening portions of said optical element; and control means for changing the refractive index of said liquid crystals, said control means causing said liquid crystals selectively to have at least two refractive indexes, one of said refractive indexes being substantially the same as that of said optical element and the other of said refractive indexes being different from that of said optical element so as to form a diffraction grating by said alternatively arranged liquid crystals and portions of said optical element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A liquid crystal liquid modulation device comprising:
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a first substrate and a second substrate;
said first substrate having a light-incident side for receiving incident light and a facing side facing said second substrate, said second substrate having a facing side facing said facing side of said first substrate, and said facing sides of said first and second substrateas being parallel with each other and spaced a predetermined distance from each other;a diffraction grating having plural portions and liquid crystals, said portions of said diffraction grating and said liquid crystals being alternately arranged between said first and second substrates, the heights of said portions of said diffraction grating and said liquid crystals in a direction normal to said facing sides being substantially the same, and said liquid crystals being separated from one another by the intervening portions of said diffraction grating; and control means for controlling an orientation of said liquid crystals. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification