Optical article for multicolor imaging
First Claim
1. An optical article capable of modulating the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation comprisinga reflective metal layer having a thickness of less than 0.5 μ
- m,means acting as a support for directing polarized electromagnetic radiation to said reflective metal layer,a dielectric layer interposed between said support and said reflective metal layer having a refractive index less than that of said support and a thickness in the range of from 0.1 to 10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed toward said reflective metal layer,an electrooptic medium that exhibits a refractive index which is a function of an applied electrical potential, andcharacterized in that, to modulate the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from differing wavelength sources to produce a multicolor image,said reflective metal layer is divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources,said dielectric layer is comprised of at least one metal oxide, metal fluoride, or low molecular weight aromatic compound and exhibits a different thickness adjacent each of said zones, said dielectric layer thicknesses adjacent said zones being proportional to the relative wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation from the sources intended to address each zone,said electrooptic medium is a polymer layer coated on said reflective metal layer exhibiting a second order polarization susceptibility greater than 10-9 electrostatic units and comprised of polar aligned molecular dipoles having an electron donor moiety linked through a conjugated π
bonding system to an electron acceptor moiety,said polymeric layer exhibits a refractive index which differs from that of said dielectric layer by less than 20 percent in the absence of an applied electrical potential,said counter electrode is divided into electrically isolated zones, andsaid article additionally includes means for focusing reflected polarized electromagnetic radiation from each of said zones on a common target area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical article capable of modulating the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation is disclosed comprising a reflective metal layer having a thickness of less than 0.5 μm, means acting as a support for directing polarized electromagnetic radiation to the reflective metal layer, a dielectric layer interposed between the support and the reflective metal layer having a refractive index less than that of the support and a thickness in the range of from 0.1 to 10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed toward the reflective metal layer, an electrooptic medium that exhibits a refractive index which is a function of an applied electrical potential, and a counter electrode. The optical article is characterized in that it is capable of modulating the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from differing wavelength sources to produce a multicolor image. To this end, the reflective metal layer is divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from a different wavelength source, the dielectric layer exhibits a different thickness adjacent each of the zones, the counter electrode is divided into electrically isolated zones, and the article additionally includes means for focusing reflected polarized electromagnetic radiation from each of the zones on a common target area. The invention particularly lends itself to producing multicolor images in photographic elements.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An optical article capable of modulating the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation comprising
a reflective metal layer having a thickness of less than 0.5 μ - m,
means acting as a support for directing polarized electromagnetic radiation to said reflective metal layer, a dielectric layer interposed between said support and said reflective metal layer having a refractive index less than that of said support and a thickness in the range of from 0.1 to 10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed toward said reflective metal layer, an electrooptic medium that exhibits a refractive index which is a function of an applied electrical potential, and characterized in that, to modulate the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from differing wavelength sources to produce a multicolor image, said reflective metal layer is divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources, said dielectric layer is comprised of at least one metal oxide, metal fluoride, or low molecular weight aromatic compound and exhibits a different thickness adjacent each of said zones, said dielectric layer thicknesses adjacent said zones being proportional to the relative wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation from the sources intended to address each zone, said electrooptic medium is a polymer layer coated on said reflective metal layer exhibiting a second order polarization susceptibility greater than 10-9 electrostatic units and comprised of polar aligned molecular dipoles having an electron donor moiety linked through a conjugated π
bonding system to an electron acceptor moiety,said polymeric layer exhibits a refractive index which differs from that of said dielectric layer by less than 20 percent in the absence of an applied electrical potential, said counter electrode is divided into electrically isolated zones, and said article additionally includes means for focusing reflected polarized electromagnetic radiation from each of said zones on a common target area. - 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)
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26. A process of producing a multicolor image comprising
providing a photographic element capable of producing superimposed yellow, magenta and cyan dye images as a function of exposure to electromagnetic radiation in first, second and third wavelength regions, respectively, of the electromagnetic spectrum and imagewise exposing the photographic element to electromagnetic radiation of the first, second and third wavelengths, characterized by the steps of (a) providing an optical article capable of modulating the reflection of polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from differing wavelength sources to produce a multicolor image, comprising a reflective metal layer having a thickness of less than 0.5 μ - m divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources, said reflective metal layer being divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources,
means acting as a support for directing polarized electromagnetic radiation to said reflective metal layer, a dielectric layer interposed between said support and said reflective metal layer having a refractive index less than that of said support and a thickness in the range of from 0.1 to 10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed toward said reflective metal layer, said dielectric layer being comprised of at least one metal oxide, metal fluoride, or low molecular weight aromatic compound and exhibiting a different thickness adjacent each of said zones, said dielectric layer thicknesses adjacent said zones being proportional to the relative wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation from the sources intended to address each zone, an electrooptic medium that exhibits a refractive index which is a function of an applied electrical potential, said electrooptic medium consisting of a polymer layer coated on said reflective metal layer and exhibiting a second order polarization susceptibility greater than 10-9 electrostatic units and comprised of polar aligned molecular dipoles having an electron donor moiety linked through a conjugated π
bonding system to an electron acceptor moiety, said polymeric layer exhibiting a refractive index which differs from that of said dielectric layer by less than 20 percent in the absence of an applied electrical potential,a counter electrode divided into electrically isolated zones, and means for focusing reflected polarized electromagnetic radiation from each of said zones on a common target area, (b) directing polarized monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the first, second and third wavelengths to first, second and third zones of the optical article with an electrical potential applied within each zone capable of modulating reflection from that zone, (c) reflecting the electromagnetic radiation of the first, second and third wavelengths from the zones of the article to a common area of the photographic element, and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) with the potentials applied being independently adjusted during each iteration and the electromagnetic radiation being directed to a different area of the photographic element.
- m divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources, said reflective metal layer being divided into a plurality of electrically isolated zones each intended to be addressed by electromagnetic radiation from one of the differing wavelength sources,
Specification