Dual interaction TIR modulator
First Claim
1. In an electro-optic line printer having a multi-gate light valve for modulating a sheet-like, collimated light beam in accordance with input data samples of finite duration representing individual picture elements of an image, said light valve includingan optically transmissive electro-optic element having a predetermined optical axis,first and second sets of individually addressable electrodes longitudinally displaced from one another along said optical axis, the electrodes of said first and second sets being intimately coupled to said electro-optic element and being distributed thereacross in laterally staggered relationship for spatially modulating said light beam, andmeans for sequentially addressing said first and second sets of electrodes with said collimated light beam, wherein said first and second sets of electrodes create electric fringe fields in said electro-optic element in response to said data samples, thereby modulating the phase front of said light beam in response to said data samples.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to electro-optic line printers and, more particularly to dual region TIR (total internal reflection) modulators. An electro-optical modulator is disclosed wherein the driving electrodes are implemented in two offset, but connected, sections to effectively double the output resolution of the modulator. Longitudinally displaced, laterally staggered electrode arrays are used to produce the laterally staggered fringe field patterns. Since the impinging light beam will defocus while being deflected, means are provided to focus the beam into first and second interaction regions being addressed.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In an electro-optic line printer having a multi-gate light valve for modulating a sheet-like, collimated light beam in accordance with input data samples of finite duration representing individual picture elements of an image, said light valve including
an optically transmissive electro-optic element having a predetermined optical axis, first and second sets of individually addressable electrodes longitudinally displaced from one another along said optical axis, the electrodes of said first and second sets being intimately coupled to said electro-optic element and being distributed thereacross in laterally staggered relationship for spatially modulating said light beam, and means for sequentially addressing said first and second sets of electrodes with said collimated light beam, wherein said first and second sets of electrodes create electric fringe fields in said electro-optic element in response to said data samples, thereby modulating the phase front of said light beam in response to said data samples.
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14. In an electro-optic line printer having a multi-gate light valve for modulating a sheet-like, collimated light beam in accordance with input data samples of finite duration representing individual picture elements of an image, said light valve including
an optically transmissive electro-optic element having a predetermined optical axis, individually addressable sets of electrodes longitudinally displaced from one another along said optical axis, the electrodes of said sets being intimately coupled to said electro-optic element and being distributed thereacross in laterally staggered relationship for spatially modulating said light beam, and means for sequentially addressing said sets of electrodes with said collimated light beam, wherein said sets of electrodes create electric fringe fields in said electro-optic element in response to said data samples, thereby modulating the phase front of said light beam in response to said data samples.
Specification