Patent ID: 8023168

Claim:
A method for manipulating light, comprising: receiving an incoming beam of light at a tunable aperture, the tunable aperture comprising: a first layer comprising a round hole, the round hole having a first diameter; and a tunable ring embedded in the first layer concentric with the round hole, the tunable ring being defined by an inner diameter and an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter, the inner diameter of the tunable ring being the same as the first diameter of the round hole, the tunable ring comprising an organic material; controlling an amount of the incoming beam of light that passes through the aperture by: applying a selected external bias to the organic material of the tunable ring to change the tunable ring from transparent to opaque, thereby reducing the amount of the incoming beam of light that passes through the aperture; and removing the selected external bias to the organic material of the tunable ring to change the tunable ring from opaque to transparent, thereby increasing the amount of the incoming beam of light that passes through the aperture.