Emissive screen display with laser-based external addressing

A display apparatus comprising:

• an emissive screen including a first plate including a plurality of photocathode regions, and a second plate including a plurality of luminescent regions, the first and second plates being spaced such that each luminescent region is located adjacent to an associated photocathode region;
• and
• a laser system for directing a laser beam over the plurality of photocathodes, and for modulating the laser beam such that relatively high laser pulses are directed onto selected photocathodes of the plurality of photocathodes.

A display apparatus comprising:

• an emissive screen including an array of pixels, each pixel including a photocathode and a luminescent region arranged adjacent to the photocathode, and means for generating an applied electric field between the photocathode and the luminescent region, and
• means for directing a beam onto the photocathode of a selected pixel, wherein the beam includes sufficient energy to cause the photocathode to generate free electrons that are accelerated by the applied electric field into the luminescent region of the selected pixel, thereby causing the luminescent region to emit visible light.