ELECTRON-BEAM ADDRESSED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR

THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR A LOW-COST, ELECTRICALLY-ADDRESSED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT MODULATOR CALLED THE ELECTRON-BEAM FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR (E-FLCM) AND EXPLORES ITS PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS. THE DEVICE INCORPORATES A HIGH RESOLUTION ELECTRON GUN CAPABLE OF 36 CYCLES/MM, WHOSE BEAM IS AMPLIFIED BY AN OPTRON SYSTEMS PROPRIETARY DEVICE CALLED A POWER MICROCHANNEL PLATE (PMCP). AN INNOVATIVE FEATURE OF THE DESIGN IS THE INCORPORATION OF A HIGH RESOLUTION CHARGE-TRANSFER PLATE (CTP) TO TRANSFER CHARGE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE EVACUATED ELECTRON-GUN ASSEMBLY. THE CTP IS INTEGRAL WITH THE LIQUID-CRYSTAL CELL AND SERVES AS A PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRODE ARRAY. PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS TO BE INVESTIGATED INCLUDE: SPATIAL RESOLUTION, FRAMING SPEED, CONTRAST RATIO, AND SPATIAL UNIFORMITY. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A NEW TYPE SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR THAT IS: 1) POTENTIALLY MUCH MORE RELIABLE AND LESS COSTLY THAN EXISTING SLM'S, 2) SCALABLE TO ACTIVE AREAS UP TO 50MM IN DIAMETER, 3) CAPABLE OF FAST FRAMING SPEEDS, 4) ABLE TO SERVE AS A PRECISE, PROGRAMMING HIGH-SPEED, BINARY FOURIER FILTER, AND, 6) EASILY CONTROLLED WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER. PROPRIETARY OPTRON TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN EMPLOYED TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE AND REDUCE THE COST OF THE DESIGN. THE PHASE II TASKS WILL INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIMIZED E-FLCM AND A COMPATIBLE COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM.