TRANSREFLECTIVE LIQUID CRYSTAL/PLASTIC FIBER OPTIC MODULES

THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO FILL THE NEED FOR LOWCOST, HIGH RESOLUTION FLAT PANEL DISPLAY MODULES FOR TACTICAL APPLICATIONS BY DEVELOPING HIGH SPEED (MILLISECOND TO MICROSECOND), HIGH RESOLUTION (250 LINE PAIRS PER MM), AND HIGH CONTRAST (100:1 - 1500:1) LIQUID CRYSTAL SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATORS (LCSLM) WITH MULTI-COLOR TUNABILITY. THE LCSLM'S CAN BE MOUNTED ON POC'S PROPRIETARY FIBER OPTIC MATRIX COLLIMATORS TO FORM RUGGED PROGRAMMABLE FLAT-PANEL TRANSREFLECTIVE DISPLAY MODULES. THIS DISPLAY IS NON-ABSORPTIVE AND TUNABLE FROM THE UV (.3 UM) TO THE INFRARED (3 UM). THIS SYSTEM USES LOW COST, COMMERCIALLY DRIVEN OPTICAL COMPONENTS SUITABLE FOR MASS PRODUCTION, WHICH CAN BE EASILY INTEGRATED TO FORM LARGE SIZE DISPLAYS. IN ADDITION, THE DISPLAY MODULES MAY BE BLACK AND WHITE, OR MULTICOLOR. THE MULTICOLOR DISPLAYS USE A NOVEL, POC PROPRIETARY TECHNIQUE WHICH ALLOWS THE POSSIBILITY OF WAVELENGTH MULTIPLEXING AND DEMULTIPLEXING INFORMATION. THIS NEW DEGREE OF FREEDOM INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT CAN BE MONITORED OR TRANSMITTED BY 2-3 ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE.