Micromachined linear light valve

A light valve for selectively controlling a light beam, the light valve comprising:

• a) a rigid substrate comprising a micromachined registration feature;
• b) a selectively movable element attached to the substrate, the selectively movable element movable between a first position and a second position;
• c) a first optical focussing element on the substrate at a position determined by the registration feature, the first optical focussing element operative to concentrate the light beam onto the selectively movable element when the selectively movable element is in its first position;
• wherein the light beam may be selectively turned on or off by causing the selectively movable element to move between the first and second positions.

A linear light valve comprising:

• a rigid substrate comprising a micromachined registration feature;
• a linear array of selectively movable elements attached to the substrate, the selectively movable elements each movable between a first position and a second position, the selectively movable elements each interacting with an incident light beam within a region of interaction so as to control a direction of an exiting light beam, wherein the exiting light beam is directed in a first direction when the selectively movable element is in its first position and the exiting light beam is directed in a second direction when the selectively movable element is in its second position;
• and,
• one or more first optical focussing elements on the substrate at positions determined by the registration feature, the first optical focussing elements operative to cause light from the incident beam to converge upon the region of interaction.

A linear light valve for selectively turning on and off light spots the light valve comprising:

• a rigid substrate;
• a linear array of selectively movable elements attached to the substrate, the elements located in a oath of a light beam;
• and,
• one or more lenses attached to the substrate and used to reduce the size of the portion of the light beam which impinges upon the elements in order to reduce the movement required of the elements to selectively turn parts of the light beam on and off wherein the lenses comprise two cylindrical graded index optical fibers parallel to the linear array, one of the lenses on each side of the linear array.

A linear light valve for selectively turning on and off light spots the light valve comprising:

• a rigid substrate;
• a linear array of selectively movable elements attached to the substrate, the elements located in a path of a light beam;
• and,
• one or more lenses attached to the substrate and used to reduce the size of the portion of the light beam which impinges upon the elements in order to reduce the movement required of the elements to selectively turn parts of the light beam on and off wherein lenses comprise two linear lenslet arrays, each lenslet being a high numerical aperture lenslet having an aspheric surface, the lenslet arrays placed parallel to the linear array of movable elements, one lenslet array on each side of the linear array of movable elements.