Optical light wave modulator for representing a first color light wave as a second color light wave

Claim 1

A color light wave translation apparatus, comprising: a source of light waves of a first preselected color and of a variable intensity; a supply of light waves of a second preselected color and of a fixed intensity; a light wave modulator for translating said first preselected color light waves of variable intensity into said second preselected color light waves of corresponding variable intensity, including: a crystal consisting of predetermined chemical components and formed with front and back surfaces; a first electric electrode transparent to said second preselected color light waves and mounted on said crystal front surface; a dielectric mirror reflective to said second preselected color light waves and attached to said crystal back surface; a photoconductor means secured to said dielectric mirror; a second electric electrode transparent to said first preselected color light waves and joined to said photoconductor means; and electric energizing means connected to said first and second electric electrodes; means for reflecting said second preselected color light waves in a predetermined direction; birefringent collimating lens means receiving in one direction said second preselected color light waves at an angle slightly less than normal incidence as said latter waves are reflected in said predetermined direction; birefringent circular polarizer means for applying through said first electrode to said crystal front surface said second preselected color light waves in circular polarized form at said angle slightly less than normal incidence as received from said collimating lens means in said one direction; whereby said photoconductor means initially activated by said energizing means drives said crystal back surface for shifting through 180* the phase of said second preselected color light waves transmitted through said first electrode and said crystal front surface and reflected by said dielectric mirror in a direction opposite to said one direction to block the transmission of said last-mentioned reflected waves through said crystal front surface; said photoconductor means further activated through said second electrode by said first preselected color light waves of varying intensity to additionally drive said crystal back surface for shifting the phase of said last-mentioned reflected light waves in an amount less than 180* in correspondence with said varying intensity of said first color light waves to transmit said last-mentioned reflected light waves through said crystal front surface in said opposite direction in an intensity varying in correspondence with thE varying intensity of said first preselected color light waves; said birefringent circular polarizer means receiving in said opposite direction from said crystal front surface said reflected second preselected color light waves in said circular polarized form at said angle slightly less than normal incidence for removing said circular polarized form from said last-mentioned waves; said birefringent collimating lens means receiving in said opposite direction said last-mentioned waves free from said circular energized form and focusing said last-mentioned waves onto a point spaced from said first-mentioned second preselected color light wave-reflecting means; further lens means coupled through said spaced point to said collimating lens means for receiving therefrom said second preselected second color light waves of varying intensity as transmitted in said opposite direction through said crystal front surface; and load means utilizing said second preselected color light waves of varying intensity as received from said further lens means as representative of said first preselected color light waves of varying intensity.