Electron beam addressed liquid crystal light valve

A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) adapted to be addressed by a scanning electron beam, comprising:

• a liquid crystal layer adapted to be addressed by a readout optical beam,
• a layer of partially conductive material supported in proximity to the liquid crystal layer on the opposite side thereof from the electron beam, and adapted to be addressed by the readout beam, the accumulation of electrons in the partially conductive layer from an electron beam scan producing a voltage across the liquid crystal,
• a grid of conductive material disposed on the partially conductive layer and adapted to receive electron leakage from the partially conductive layer, the grid dividing the partially conductive layer into a series of pixel elements with grid material surrounding the pixel elements to receive electron leakage therefrom, and
• circuit means connected to discharge the grid of electrons leaked from the partially conductive layer,
• the dimensions and materials for the various elements being selected, relative to the electron beam scanning rate, to produce an electron leakage rate from the partially conductive layer pixels into the grid that is fast enough to substantially dissipate electrons delivered to the pixels during an electron beam scan prior to the next scan, but slow enough for the liquid crystal to produce an image for a readout beam.

A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) adapted to be addressed by a scanning electron beam, comprising:

• a liquid crystal layer adapted to be addressed by a readout optical beam,
• a flat, electrically resistive membrane supported in proximity to the liquid crystal layer on the opposite side thereof from the readout beam,
• a layer of partially conductive material supported by the membrane and adapted to be addressed by the electron beam,
• a conductive grid disposed on the partially conductive layer and dividing that layer into pixel elements, the conductive grid being adapted to receive electrical charge from the partially conductive layer pixel elements, and
• circuit means connected to dissipate charge received by the grid from the partially conductive layer as a result of electron beam scanning of the layer,
• the accumulation of electric charge in the partially conductive material due to an electron beam scan and the subsequent dissipation of the charge through the grid producing a voltage across the liquie crystal and a related liquid crystal current I.sub.LC in the form:
• ##EQU2## C.sub.LC =liquid crystal capacitance per pixel R.sub.LC =liquid crystal resistance per pixel
• C.sub.M =combined membrane partially conductive layer capacitance per pixel
• R.sub.M =effective combined membrane partially conductive layer sheet resistivity per pixel,
• C.sub.LC, R.sub.LC, C.sub.M and R.sub.M being selected to produce an AC voltage across the liquid crystal during a substantial portion of the time between the electron beam scans.