ELECTRICALLY-ACTIVATED, LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILLED, HOLOGRAPHIC DIFFRACTIVE STRUCTURE FOR WAVELENGTH CONTROL

THE CONCEPT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS AN ADVANCED HOLOGRAPHIC DIFFRACTIVE STRUCTURE (HDS) FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT AT THE WAVELENGTH LEVEL. A STACK OF ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLABLE, LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILLED DIFFRACTION GRATINGS WOULD PRESENT A THIN, LIGHTWEIGHT, CLEAR PANEL, THAT, WHEN PLACED IN CONTACTWITH AN APERTURE SHALL BE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE SUNLIGHT VERY EFFICIENTLY INTO A STABLE AREA IN THE CENTER OF A LIGHT GUIDE OR FIBER OPTIC DEVICE. IT SHALL BE POSSIBLE TO SELECTIVELY BRING INTO PLAY ONLY THE GRATING APPROPRIATE FORA PARTICULAR SUN ANGLE AND NONE OTHER, BY APPLYING AN ELECTRIC FIELD (CREATING A "SMART GRATING"). A SERIES OF SUCH CONCENTRATORS WILL THUS DISPLAY ACTIVE SOLAR TRACKING WITHOUT THE DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVING MECHANICAL PARTS. AN EXAMPLE OF A HIGHLY PROMISING APPLICATION OF SUCH A DEVICE IS DESCRIBED WITHIN--HOLOGRAPHIC COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT OF SUNLIGHT TO A MULTI-STORY BUILDING'S "CORE" AREA. SUBSTITUTING SUNLIGHT FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT WILL CONSERVE A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY OF ENERGY, PARTICULARLY DURING PEAK LOAD CONDITIONS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY ILLUMINATION TO THE BUILDING'S OCCUPANTS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE CONTROL DEVICE DESCRIBED HEREIN, COULD PROVIDE FORMIDABLE ENERGY SAVINGS INTHE U.S. BUILDING SECTOR BY THE YEAR 2000.