Electrooptic device for scanning and information modulating a plurality of light beams

摘要

An electrooptic device for scanning and information modulating a plurality of light beams across an image zone is disclosed. The device includes a substrate formed of electrooptic material that changes its birefringence in response to an electric field established therein. A time-varying electric field is established in a portion of the substrate which varies the substrate refractive index so as to deflect an incident linear light beam. The device includes a lens arrangement which forms the deflected light beam into a plurality of beams focused at the image zone, and a light valve array which has a pixel portion for each focused light beam. Voltage signals applied to selected ones of a plurality of modulating electrodes of the light valve array cause selected ones of the array pixel portions to change their birefringence and change the polarization vector of their focused light beams as the beams are scanned across the image zone.