Dynamic optical grating device

An electrically steerable laser source means comprising:

• laser means for generating a beam of coherent radiation;
• beam steering means disposed to be intercepted by said beam and including a substrate having a semiconductive quantum well region formed thereon, said region being subdivided into a plurality of quantum well substructures electrically isolated from each other to form a diffraction grating, each said substructure having electrode means associated therewith for receiving an applied electrical potential to create an electric potential field therein which modulates a portion of said beam to which it is exposed;
• and
• electrical control means for applying discrete electrical potentials to particular ones of said electrodes to select the optical properties of said grating and thereby cause the beam diffracted thereby to be selectively steered.

An electrically steerable laser source means for use in a video monitor or the like including a luminous screen or an array of optical detectors illuminated in raster scan fashion by a beam of light, comprising:

• laser means for generating a beam of coherent radiation;
• first beam steering means disposed to be intercepted by said beam and including a substrate having a semiconductive quantum well region formed thereon, said region being subdivided into a plurality of quantum well substructures electrically isolated from each other to form a diffraction grating, each said substructure having electrode means associated therewith for receiving an applied electrical potential to create an electric potential field therein which modulates a portion of said beam to which it is exposed;
• a second beam steering means similar to said first beam steering means but oriented to lie in a plane normal to the plane including said first steering means and in the path of said diffracted beam;
• and
• electrical control means for applying discrete electrical potentials to particular ones of said electrodes of said first steering means to steer said diffracted beam in the direction of a first scan axis, and to particular ones of said electrodes of said second steering means to steer said diffracted beam in the direction of a second scan axis.

An electrically steerable laser source means for use in a video monitor or the like including a luminous screen or an array of optical detectors illuminated in raster scan fashion by a beam of light, comprising:

• laser means for generating a beam of coherent radiation;
• first beam steering means disposed to be intercepted by said beam and including a substrate having a semiconductive quantum well region formed thereon, said region being subdivided into a plurality of quantum well substructures electrically isolated from each other to form a diffraction grating, each said substructure having electrode means associated therewith for receiving an applied electrical potential to create an electric potential field therein which modulates a portion of said beam to which it is exposed;
• a second beam steering means similar to said first beam steering means but positioned to lie in a plane spaced from and parallel to the plane including said first steering means and in the path of said diffracted beam, said second beam steering means being oriented such that it diffracts said beam in a direction normal to the diffraction of said first beam steering means;
• and
• electrical control means for applying discrete electrical potentials to particular ones of said electrodes of said first steering means to steer said diffracted beam in the direction of a first scan axis, and to particular ones of said second electrodes of said steering means to steer said diffracted beam in the direction of a second scan axis.