Patent US3958862A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3958862A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electro-optical modulator
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1974-06-14
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Granted: 1976-05-25
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Expires: 1994-06-14
Abstract
Abstract An electro-optical modulator comprises a block of electro-optical material, a pattern of interdigitated electrodes on one face of the material, a source of light adapted to provide a non-convergent beam of light and arranged to apply said beam directly to the block of material so as to suffer a single internal reflection from said one face and to travel in the general direction of the length of the electrodes, and means for applying a modulating voltage to the electrodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Marek Tadeusz Victor Scibor-Rylski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 10:05
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/29; G02F1/31; G02F1/315
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
An electro-optical modulator comprising: a block of electro-optical material; a source of light for providing a non-convergent beam of light directly to said block of material to travel through said block in a given direction to suffer a single internal reflection from one face of said block; means for modulating said light beam including a pattern of interdigitated elongated electrodes on said one face of said block, the lengths of said electrodes extending in the general direction of travel of said light beam, and means for applying a modulating voltage to said electrodes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
An electro-optical modulator comprising: a block of electro-optical material; a source of light for providing a non-convergent beam of light directly to said block of material to travel through said block in a given direction to suffer a single internal reflection from one face of said block; means for modulating said light beam including a pattern of interdigitated elongated electrodes on said one face of said block, the lengths of said electrodes extending in the general direction of travel of said light beam, and means for applying a modulating voltage to said electrodes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source is adapted to provide a slightly divergent beam of light, the pitch of the electrodes varying across the width of the beam, being lowest where the light is travelling generally along the length of the electrodes, and increasing as the light diverges from the length of the electrodes so as to compensate for the divergence of the light in the resulting diffraction pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, comprising an end face to receive the beam of light and a second end face from which the diffraction pattern emerges, said end faces being arranged relative to said one face so that the angle through which the beam is refracted at each end face is equal to the complement of the angle of incidence of the beam at said one face.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source of light is adapted to provide a coherent beam of light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source of light is adapted to provide a monochromatic beam of light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the source of light is adapted to provide a collimated beam of light.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
A modulator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electro-optic material is solid.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3300739A
Cited
US3887885A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-05-25 | 1979-11-24 | 1980-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-05-25 | 1983-11-24 | 1984-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-05-25 | 1987-11-24 | 1988-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |