Importance

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Abstract

A light modulating switch (210) including a switching element (218) having a first portion (226) of electro-optic material to which first and second electrodes (213, 224) are associated. A second portion (228) is composed of material having an index of refraction matching that of the first portion (226) when no voltage is applied to electro-optically activate the first portion (226), but the index of refraction of the second portion (228) is less than the index of refraction of the first portion (226) when the first portion (226) is electro-optically activated by application of voltage to the electrodes (213, 224). The first and second portions (226, 228) are in close conjunction with each other such that a TIR boundary (230) is formed at the junction of the first and second portions (226, 228) and the switching element (218) is oriented with respect to at least one incident light beam (240) such that the incident light beam (240) enters the first portion (226) and strikes the boundary (230) at an angle such that the light beam (240) is totally reflected internally when the first portion (226) is electro-optically activated, but which will pass unreflected through the boundary (230) when the first portion (226) is not electro-optically activated. The thickness of the second portion (228) is preferably reduced by removal of a step region (246) so that electric field lines within the active first portion (226) are more narrowly directed and the TIR boundary (230) is flatter and more regular.

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First Claim