Microchannel spatial light modulator

A microchannel spatial light modulator that comprises in combination:

• a photocathode that acts as a source of photoelectrons whose spatial distribution is proportional to the spatial distribution of light incident upon the photocathode, that is, the photocathode provides an electron image of an image in the incident light;
• a microchannel plate to receive said photoelectrons and amplify the electron image, the microchannel plate being a porous semiconducting glass plate having at each of its major surfaces a conductive coating to serve respectively as a first electrode to receive electrons from the photocathode and a second electrode to interact with the first electrode and create an electric field in the porous semiconducting glass plate to draw electrons through the porous semiconducting glass plate from the first electrode to the second electrode, there being amplification in the number of electrons between the first electrode and the second electrode so that there is an amplified electron image at the second electrode;
• an electro-optic plate coated on one side thereof with a dielectric mirror and an insulating light-blocking layer to receive the thusly amplified electron image and on the other side thereof with a transparent electrode;
• means for applying a bias potential to said transparent electrode, said transparent electrode serving, when an appropriate bias is applied thereto, to bias the electro-optic plate, which dielectric mirror faces the second electrode but with a vacuum gap therebetween;
• a conducting grid disposed in said vacuum gap and adapted to connect to a source of electric potential to control electron flow in the gap;
• and
• a sourceof electric potential connected to said grid to control electron flow and to strip electrons from the dielectric mirror to effect erasure.

A microchannel spatial light modulator to receive radiation in the extreme ultraviolet and soft-x-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum, that comprises, in combination:

• a microchannel plate to receive said radiation and to generate photoelectrons in the form of an electron image, which image is amplified by the channels of the microchannel plate to provide an amplified electron image;
• and
• an electro-optic plate coated on one side thereof with a dielectric mirror and a light-blocking layer to receive the thusly amplified electron image and on the other side thereof with a transparent electrode;
• means for applying a bias potential to said transparent electrode, said transparent electrode serving, when an appropriate electric bias potential is applied thereto, to bias the electro-optic plate.