Electromechanical conformal grating device with improved optical efficiency and contrast
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorMarek W. Kowarz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electromechanical conformal grating device having a period Λ, that includes: an elongated ribbon element including a light reflective surface; a pair of end supports for supporting the elongated ribbon element at both ends over a substrate; an intermediate support; and means for applying a force to the elongated ribbon element to cause the element to deform between first and second operating states, where in the second operating state the elongated ribbon element mechanically conforms to the intermediate support forming a conformal grating having alternating raised and lowered portions, and wherein the length of the raised and lowered portions are substantially equal.
Claims29
An electromechanical conformal grating device having a period Λ, comprising:
- a) an elongated ribbon element including a light reflective surface;
- b) a pair of end supports for supporting the elongated ribbon element at both ends over a substrate;
- c) an intermediate support;
- d) means for applying a force to the elongated ribbon element to cause the element to deform between first and second operating states, where in the second operating state the elongated ribbon element mechanically conforms to the intermediate support forming an optical grating having a diffraction grating period Λ with alternating raised and lowered portions;
- e) the diffraction grating period Λ being determined by the placement of the intermediate support;
- and
- f) the lengths of the raised and lowered portions being substantially equal.
An electromechanical conformal grating device with improved optical efficiency and contrast, comprising:
- a) an elongated ribbon element including a light reflective surface;
- b) a pair of end supports for supporting the elongated ribbon element at both ends over a substrate;
- c) at least one intermediate support having a width b, where in width b there are sub-supports of the at least one intermediate support present;
- and
- d) means for applying a force to the elongated ribbon element to cause the element to deform between first and second operating states, where in the second operating state the elongated ribbon element conforms mechanically to the intermediate support and stays suspended between the sub-supports to form an optical grating.
An electromechanical conformal grating device with improved optical efficiency, comprising:
- a) an elongated ribbon element including a light reflective surface;
- b) a pair of end supports for supporting the elongated ribbon element at both ends over a substrate;
- c) at least one intermediate support having a width b, wherein the width b is chosen such that Λ/4≦b≦Λ/2;
- and
- d) means for applying a force to the elongated ribbon element to cause the element to deform between first and second operating states, wherein the elongated ribbon element conforms mechanically to the intermediate support.
An electromechanical conformal grating device with improved optical efficiency and contrast, comprising:
- a) an elongated ribbon element including a light reflective surface;
- b) a pair of end supports for supporting the elongated ribbon element at both ends over a substrate;
- c) at least one intermediate support having a width b, wherein the width b is chosen such that Λ/4≦b≦Λ/2, and there are at least two spaced apart sub-supports present within b;
- d) means for applying a force to the elongated ribbon element to cause the element to deform between first and second operating states, where in the first operating state the elongated ribbon element is suspended flat and in the second operating state the elongated ribbon element conforms mechanically to the intermediate support and stays suspended between the sub-supports to form an optical grating with a smoothly varying profile having at least two periods;
- and
- e) the elongated ribbon element being secured to the sub-supports and the end supports.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.