Optically modulable photonic bandgap medium
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsR. Stanley Williams, Raymond G. Beausoleil, Wei Wu, Zhiyong Li, Philip J. Kuekes
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Abstract
Controlling the propagation of electromagnetic radiation is described. A photonic bandgap medium is placed in the path of the electromagnetic radiation, the photonic bandgap medium comprising a photorefractive material. Control radiation is projected onto a surface of the photonic bandgap medium. The control radiation spatially varies a refractive index of the photorefractive material to control propagation of the electromagnetic radiation through the photonic bandgap medium.
Claims22
A method for propagating electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
- placing a photonic bandgap medium in the path of the electromagnetic radiation, the photonic bandgap medium having a surface and comprising a photorefractive material;
- and
- projecting control radiation onto the surface that spatially varies a refractive index of the photorefractive material thereacross to control propagation of the electromagnetic radiation through the photonic bandgap medium;
- wherein said projecting control radiation comprises dynamic spatial modulation using a dynamically controlled spatial light modulator and projection using zoomable projection optics.
An apparatus for controlling propagation of incident radiation, comprising:
- a photonic crystal including a photorefractive material;
- and
- a projection device projecting control radiation onto a surface of the photonic crystal according to a spatial control pattern causing a spatial variation of a refractive index of the photorefractive material across said surface of the photonic crystal;
- wherein said projection device comprises a dynamically controlled spatial light modulator for dynamically controlling said spatial control pattern and zoomable projection optics for zoomably varying a size of said spatial control pattern.
A system for controlling propagation of incident radiation, comprising:
- a photonic band gap (PBG) crystal including a photorefractive material;
- and
- means for projecting control radiation onto a surface of the PBG crystal according to a spatial control pattern that spatially varies a refractive index of the photorefractive material across said surface, propagation of said incident radiation through said PBG crystal being at least partially controlled according to said spatial variations of the refractive index of the photorefractive material;
- wherein said means for projecting comprises spatial light modulation means for dynamically controlling said spatial control pattern and zoomable projection means for zoomably varying a size of said spatial control pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.