Patent ID: 6486996
Filing Date: 2002-11-26
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
An optical system comprising:a plurality of discrete protrusions comprising electro-optic material, each discrete protrusion being electrically and optically isolated from each other, said protrusions further having defined a top face, a bottom face, a firs t side face or first and second side faces, an d front and back faces; and a plurality of electrodes associated with each of said protrusions, said electrodes being capable of inducing an electric field in said electro-optic material for independently modulating one or more light beams which are incident upon one of said faces of said protrusions, wherein:each of said protrusions includes a first portion of said electro-optic material to which the plurality of electrodes is associated, and each of said protrusions further includes a second portion comprised of material with an index of refraction (N2) matching that of said first portion when no voltage is applied to electro-optically activate said first portion, but said index of refraction (N2) of said second portion is less than the index of refraction (N1) of said first portion when said first portion is electro-optically activated by application of appropriate voltage; said first and second portions are in close conjunction with each other such that a boundary is formed at the junction of said first and second portions; and each of said protrusions is oriented with respect to the one or more light beams such that each of the light beams enters each first portion of each protrusion and strikes said boundary between said first and said second portions at an angle such that each light beam is reflected by total internal reflection when said first portion is electro-optically activated by application of sufficient voltage, but which will pass substantially unreflected through said boundary when said first portion is not electro-optically activated.