Modulation of electromagnetic radiation with electrically controllable composite material
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a source of a radiation beam having a wavelength; and
a composite material, comprising;
a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines spaced apart by less than said wavelength;
a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines spaced apart by less than said wavelength and positioned in a crossing arrangement with said first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each said first line crosses each said second line, the crosspoint location having a dimension that is less than said wavelength; and
an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each said crosspoint location electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding thereto, each impedance memory element having an electrically programmed state;
wherein said composite material modulates said radiation beam according to said electrically programmed states of said impedance memory elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and related methods for modulating an electromagnetic radiation beam are described. A composite material is positioned in the path of the radiation beam, the composite material comprising a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines spaced apart by less than a wavelength of the radiation beam and a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines also spaced apart by less than that wavelength. The second lines are positioned in a crossing arrangement with the first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each first line crosses each second line. An electrically programmable impedance memory element is positioned at each crosspoint location and is electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding to that crosspoint location, each impedance memory element having an electrically programmed state. The composite material modulates the radiation beam according to the electrically programmed states of the impedance memory elements.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a source of a radiation beam having a wavelength; and a composite material, comprising; a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines spaced apart by less than said wavelength; a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines spaced apart by less than said wavelength and positioned in a crossing arrangement with said first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each said first line crosses each said second line, the crosspoint location having a dimension that is less than said wavelength; and an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each said crosspoint location electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding thereto, each impedance memory element having an electrically programmed state; wherein said composite material modulates said radiation beam according to said electrically programmed states of said impedance memory elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for modulating a radiation beam, comprising:
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causing the radiation beam to impinge upon a composite material, wherein said composite material comprises; a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines having a first average spacing less than a wavelength of the radiation beam; a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines having a second average spacing less than said wavelength and positioned in a crossing arrangement with said first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each said first line crosses each said second line, the crosspoint location having a dimension that is less than said wavelength; and an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each said crosspoint location electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding thereto; and programming each of said impedance memory elements by applying an electrical programming signal across the first line and second line corresponding to that impedance memory element, thereby placing that impedance memory element in a programmed state; wherein said radiation beam is modulated by said composite material according to said programmed states of said impedance memory elements. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus, comprising:
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a source of a radiation beam having a wavelength; a substrate that is substantially non-attenuating at said wavelength; a cross-point array formed on said substrate, said cross-point array comprising a layer of substantially parallel metallic row conductors disposed in a crossing pattern with a layer of substantially parallel metallic column conductors, said cross-point array further comprising an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each cross-point between said row and column conductors, each cross-point having a dimension that is less than said wavelength, wherein said row conductors and said column conductors each have average spacings less than said wavelength; and an electrical programming circuit coupled to said cross-point array for transferring a desired pattern of programmed states to said impedance memory elements; wherein the radiation beam is modulated according to electrically programmed states of the impedance memory elements while propagating through said cross-point array. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification