Modulation of electromagnetic radiation with electrically controllable composite material

A method for modulating a radiation beam, comprising:

• causing the radiation beam to impinge upon a composite material, wherein said composite material comprises:
• a plurality of commonly oriented metallic first lines having a first average spacing less than a wavelength of the radiation beam;
• a plurality of commonly oriented metallic second lines having a second average spacing less than said wavelength and positioned in a crossing arrangement with said first lines, a crosspoint location being defined where each said first line crosses each said second line, the crosspoint location having a dimension that is less than said wavelength;
• and
• an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each said crosspoint location electrically coupled between the first and second lines corresponding thereto;
• and
• programming each of said impedance memory elements by applying an electrical programming signal across the first line and second line corresponding to that impedance memory element, thereby placing that impedance memory element in a programmed state;
• wherein said radiation beam is modulated by said composite material according to said programmed states of said impedance memory elements.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a source of a radiation beam having a wavelength;
• a substrate that is substantially non-attenuating at said wavelength;
• a cross-point array formed on said substrate, said cross-point array comprising a layer of substantially parallel metallic row conductors disposed in a crossing pattern with a layer of substantially parallel metallic column conductors, said cross-point array further comprising an electrically programmable impedance memory element at each cross-point between said row and column conductors, each cross-point having a dimension that is less than said wavelength, wherein said row conductors and said column conductors each have average spacings less than said wavelength;
• and
• an electrical programming circuit coupled to said cross-point array for transferring a desired pattern of programmed states to said impedance memory elements;
• wherein the radiation beam is modulated according to electrically programmed states of the impedance memory elements while propagating through said cross-point array.