Total internal reflection light valve

An imaging method comprising:

• emitting radiation from an illumination source towards a total internal reflection (TIR) modulator, the TIR modulator comprising:
• a member comprising an electro-optic material, the member adapted for receiving the radiation and subjecting the radiation to total internal reflection at a surface of the member, the member further comprising a plurality of pixel regions and a plurality of non-pixel regions, each pixel region comprising a portion of the surface impinged upon by the radiation and each non-pixel region comprising a portion of the surface that is not impinged upon by the radiation;
• a first set of electrodes arranged in an interdigitated relationship with a second set of electrodes in each pixel region;
• a plurality of electrical conductors, each electrical conductor being coupled to one of the first set of electrodes and the second set of electrodes in a pixel region, and each conductor extending over a non-pixel region;
• controlling at least one of the pixel regions to form at least one image pixel on a surface;
• imposing a first electric potential on a first pixel region, the first electric potential being associated with a first signal provided by a first electrical conductor to the second set of electrodes associated with the first pixel region, the first electrical conductor extending over a first non-pixel region;
• imposing a second electric potential on the first pixel region, the second electric potential being associated with a second signal provided by a second electrical conductor to first set of electrodes associated with the first pixel region, the second electrical conductor extending over a second non-pixel region, wherein the second non-pixel region is different from the first non-pixel region, and the second electric potential is different from the first electric potential;
• and
• imposing the second electric potential on the first non-pixel region.