Stress tuned blazed grating light valve

A light modulator comprising:

• a. elongated elements arranged parallel to each other and configured in a grating plane, each elongated element comprising a central blazed portion, a first outer blaze transition, and a second outer blaze transition, the central blaze portion coupling the first outer blaze transition to the second outer blaze transition, selected ones of the central blazed portions comprising a first conductive element, each of the central blazed portions comprising a reflective surface such that in operation an incident light illuminating the central blazed portions diffracts into at least two diffraction orders;
• and
• b. a substrate coupled to the elongated elements, the substrate comprising a second conductive element such that in operation an electrical bias applied between the first conductive elements and the second conductive element adjusts a height of the selected ones of the elongated elements and further such that in operation the incident light diffracts into a single diffraction order different than the at least two diffraction orders.

A light modulator comprising:

• a. elongated elements arranged parallel to each other and configured in a grating plane, each elongated element having a rectangular cross section and configured with a blaze angle, each of selected ones of the elongated elements comprising a first conductive element, each elongated element comprising a reflective surface such that in operation an incident light diffracts into at least two diffraction orders;
• and
• b. a substrate coupled to the elongated elements, the substrate comprising a second conductive element such that in operation an electrical bias applied between the first conductive elements and the second conductive element adjusts a height of the selected ones of the elongated elements and further such that in operation the incident light diffracts into a single diffraction order different than the at least two diffraction orders.

A light modulator comprising:

• a. means for stress inducing a blaze angle into elongated elements arranged parallel to each other and configured in a grating plane such that in operation an incident light diffracts into at least two diffraction orders;
• and
• b. means for adjusting height of selected ones of the elongated elements relative to the grating plane such that in operation the incident light diffracts into a single diffraction order different than the at least two diffraction orders.