Optical component

摘要

A description is given of an optical component having a light-transmitting cube (1), a light entry surface (11), a plurality of light exit surfaces (12, 13, 14) and a liquid crystal layer (9, 10) which is provided in a diagonal cube surface and which, depending on a voltage applied to electrodes (8), reflects a light beam incident on the light entry surface or is transparent to this beam. The component according to the invention is distinguished in that the liquid crystal layers are provided in at least two of those diagonal cube surfaces which have a side in common with the light entry surface, and in that at least three bounding surfaces of the cube serve as light exit surfaces. Not only is it thereby possible to connect a plurality of light output channels to one input channel, but in addition the component according to the invention can also be used to block or retroreflect the incident light beam. <IMAGE>