Patent ID: 7835056

Claim:
A light intensity modulator comprising: an optical apparatus for variably modifying a divergence of at least one reflected beam comprising at least one light source generating at least one input beam, at least one Flexible Reflective Analog Modulator (FRAM), said FRAM generally comprising a flexible reflective member attached to a substrate by at least one leg extending outwardly therefrom, an electrode on said substrate and an electrode on said flexible reflective member thus forming a set of electrodes for applying an actuation voltage thereon, said FRAM having a natural FRAM curvature in the absence of an actuation voltage applied thereon defined by a natural curvature of said flexible reflective member, and a variable FRAM curvature adjusted by a range of actuation voltages applied thereon, said optical apparatus further comprising an illumination optics comprising at least one lens, said lens focusing said input beam to produce at least one focused beam, said focused beam comprising a beam waist, said FRAM having a FRAM position either in front of, behind or at said beam waist and a FRAM orientation such that said focused beam is reflected by said flexible reflective member of said FRAM to produce at least one reflected beam therefrom, said reflected beam reflected by said FRAM having a variable reflected beam divergence dependent on the FRAM position and the variable FRAM curvature of said FRAM, and thus on the range of actuation voltages applied thereon; and a conversion optics for converting the variable reflected beam divergence of said reflected beam into a variable reflected beam intensity.