Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ll-xn!husc6!bbn!aoa!carl
From: carl@aoa.UUCP (Carl Witthoft)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: reflective light modulator
Message-ID: <320@aoa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jun-87 07:40:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: aoa.320
Posted: Thu Jun 25 07:40:36 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Jun-87 09:39:58 EDT
References: <845@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> <12862@topaz.rutgers.edu>
Reply-To: carl@aoa.UUCP (Carl Witthoft)
Organization: Adaptive Optics Assoc., Cambridge, Mass. USA
Lines: 26
Xref: mnetor sci.physics:1779 sci.electronics:860

In article <12862@topaz.rutgers.edu> ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) writes:
>How about liquid crystals?  Seems like you ought to be able to place
>a sheet in front of the corner reflector which would also keep dirt
>off the mirrors as well
>
>          LCD-material
>                  V
>                  |\
>Beam              | \
>----------------> |  > <- corner reflector
>                  | /
>                  |/

Can this work? I'm worried about two things: 1) polarization changes
as beam bounces off corner cube, and resultant mess w/ polarization sensitivity
(if any) of LCD, 2) I hear LCD's can't run DC, so need to pulse the beam
on&off at some rep rate, which may not be acceptable.

-- 

Alix's Dad ( Carl Witthoft @ Adaptive Optics Associates)
{ima,harvard}!bbn!aoa!carl
{wjh12,mit-vax}!biomed!aoa!carl
54 CambridgePark Drive, Cambridge,MA 02140 617-864-0201
" If you're not afraid you're going to die on your windsurfer,
the wind isn't high enough to have a good time."