High contrast tilting ribbon blazed grating
First Claim
1. A blazed grating device comprising:
- a. a plurality of elongated elements, each element including one or more lengthwise slits within an active optical area and a light reflective planar surface, the light reflective planar surfaces lying in a grating plane; and
b. a support structure coupled to the elongated elements to maintain a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and to enable rotational tilting of each element about a lengthwise axis, and between a blazed configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract an incident light into a first distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a first angle θ
1B, and a flat configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract the incident light into a second distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a second angle which is a multiple (at least twice) of the first angle θ
1B,wherein the one or more slits symmetrically divide the width of the element within the active optical area into a plurality of segments of substantially equal width, andwherein the elongated elements are rotationally tilted to a blaze angle with respect to the grating plane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The light modulator includes elongated elements and a support structure coupled to the elongated elements. Each element includes one or more lengthwise slits within an active optical area, and a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surfaces lying in a grating plane. The support structure maintains a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and enables tilting of each element about a lengthwise axis. The elongated elements are tilted between a first modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract an incident light into one or more diffraction orders, and a second modulator configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract the incident light into at least one diffraction order different than the one or more diffraction orders in the first modulator configuration.
770 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A blazed grating device comprising:
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a. a plurality of elongated elements, each element including one or more lengthwise slits within an active optical area and a light reflective planar surface, the light reflective planar surfaces lying in a grating plane; and b. a support structure coupled to the elongated elements to maintain a position of the elongated elements relative to each other and to enable rotational tilting of each element about a lengthwise axis, and between a blazed configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract an incident light into a first distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a first angle θ
1B, and a flat configuration wherein the elongated elements act to diffract the incident light into a second distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a second angle which is a multiple (at least twice) of the first angle θ
1B,wherein the one or more slits symmetrically divide the width of the element within the active optical area into a plurality of segments of substantially equal width, and wherein the elongated elements are rotationally tilted to a blaze angle with respect to the grating plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of diffracting an incident light utilizing a blazed grating comprising:
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a. supporting a plurality of elongated elements, each element including one or more lengthwise slits within an active optical area and a light reflective planar surface with the light reflective planar surface, with the light reflective planar surfaces lying in a grating plane; b. rotationally tilting the plurality of elongated elements about a lengthwise axis, and between blazed configuration and a flat configuration; and c. diffracting an incident light such that in the blazed configuration the incident light is diffracted into a first distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a first angle θ
1B and in the flat configuration the incident light is diffracted into a second distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a second angle which is a multiple (at least twice) of the first angle θ
1B,wherein each slit is cut through an entire thickness of the elongated element, and wherein the elongated elements are rotationally tilted to a blaze angle with respect to the grating plane. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A blazed grating device comprising:
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a. means for supporting a plurality of elongated elements, each element including one or more lengthwise slits within an active optical area and a light reflective planar surface, with the light reflective planar surfaces lying in a grating plane; b. means for rotational tilting the plurality of elongated elements about a lengthwise axis, and between a blazed configuration and a flat configuration; and c. means for diffracting an incident light such that in the blazed configuration the incident light is diffracted into a first distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a first angle θ
1B and in the flat configuration the incident light is diffracted into a second distribution of diffracted light with first-order diffraction at a second angle which is a multiple (at least twice) of the first angle θ
1B,wherein each slit goes through an entire thickness of the elongated element, and wherein the elongated elements are rotationally tilted to a blaze angle with respect to the grating plane.
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Specification