Electrical device utilizing charge recycling within a cell

A temporally controlled charge transfer process for use in a light modulating device, comprising:

• transferring, in a first temporal phase, at least part of an electrical charge stored in a signal electrode structure to an enhancement electrode structure, and
• generating an enhancement signal voltage between the enhancement electrode structure and the signal electrode structure using substantially only the electrical charge transferred from the signal electrode structure to the enhancement electrode structure,
• wherein the light modulating device comprises at least one cell, said cell having:
• two deformable dielectric layers which meet at an interface, at least one of the layers consisting of a viscoelastic relief forming material,
• a support electrode structure arranged on one side of the dielectric layers,
• the signal electrode structure opposing the support electrode structure such that the layers are located between the support electrode structure and the signal electrode structure,
• the enhancement electrode structure composed of one or more separate electrode zones arranged in the proximity of the signal electrode structure, wherein the signal electrode structure and the enhancement electrode structure are capable of storing electrical charges,
• a signal supplier, configured to apply a signal voltage between the support electrode structure and the signal electrode structure, the signal voltage generating an electric field passing at least partly through the two deformable dielectric layers to create a surface relief on the viscoelastic material layer, and
• an enhancement signal supplier, configured to apply the enhancement signal voltage between the enhancement electrode structure and the signal electrode structure for enhancing the deformation of the viscoelastic material layer.

A light modulating device having at least one cell, each cell having:

• two deformable dielectric layers which meet at an interface, at least one of the layers consisting of a viscoelastic relief forming material,
• a support electrode structure arranged on one side of the dielectric layers,
• a signal electrode structure opposing the support electrode structure such that the layers are located between the support electrode structure and the signal electrode structure,
• an enhancement electrode structure composed of one or more separate electrode zones arranged in the proximity of the signal electrode structure, wherein the signal electrode structure and the enhancement electrode structure are capable of storing electrical charges,
• a signal supplier, configured to apply a signal voltage between the support electrode structure and the signal electrode structure, the signal voltage generating an electric field passing at least partly through the two deformable dielectric layers to create a surface relief on the viscoelastic material layer, and
• an enhancement signal supplier, configured to apply an enhancement signal voltage between the enhancement electrode structure and the signal electrode structure for enhancing the deformation of the viscoelastic material layer,
• wherein the light modulating device comprises:
• means for transferring, in a first temporal phase, at least part of a electrical charge stored in the signal electrode structure to the enhancement electrode structure, and
• means for generating an enhancement signal voltage between the enhancement electrode structure and the signal electrode structure using substantially only the electrical charge transferred from the signal electrode structure to the enhancement electrode structure.