Optic relay comprising a photoconductor element

Claim 1

An optic relay comprising: a. an evacuated envelope comprising at least one window transparent to radiation of a first wavelength; b. an electrically conducting first layer having one face thereof adjacent said transparent window and another face removed therefrom, said first layer being transparent to said first wavelength radiation; c. a plate comprising material exhibiting electro-optic properties and a Curie point, said plate having a first face proximate said other face of said conducting first layer and a second face removed therefrom, said plate being operable at a temperature near said Curie point and being characterized by a double refraction varying with the voltage difference appLied between the faces of said plate; d. a multi-layer dielectric mirror disposed at said other face of said plate, said mirror comprising material selected from the group consisting essentially of LiF, CaF2, ZnS, M 9 O, Ta2O5, Al2O3, and TiO2; e. a photoconducting layer disposed adjacent to said mirror and being responsive to second wavelength radiation, said photoconductive layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting essentially of selenium, an arsenic-selenium compound, and an arsenic-tellurium compound, said layer consisting of material that is one of substantially completely amorphous and only slightly crystalline; f. an electrically conducting second layer disposed adjacent to said photoconducting layer and being transparent to said second wavelength radiation, said second layer being of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of a noble metal and a semiconductor material; and g. means for applying an electrical potential between said first and second layers.

Claim 9

A method of producing the optic relay comprising the steps of: a. providing a sub-assembly comprising i. a substrate transparent to first wavelength radiation, ii. an electrically conducting first layer disposed at said substrate and transparent to said first wavelength radiation, iii. a plate consisting of electro-optic material and disposed at said first layer, said first layer being disposed between said substrate and said electro-optic plate, said electro-optic material exhibiting a Curie temperature and being characterized by a double refraction varying with the potential difference thereacross; and iv. a multi-layer dielectric mirror disposed at said electro-optic plate and removed from said first layer, said mirror comprising material selected from the group consisting essentially of LiF, CaF2, ZnS, MgO, Ta2O5, Al2O3, and TiO2; b. evaporating a photoconducting material on said mirror to form a photoconducting layer, said material being responsive to second wavelength radiation and being selected from the group consisting essentially of selenium, an arsenic-selenium compound, and an arsenic-tellurium compound, said layer being one of substantially completely Amorphous and only slightly crystalline, said evaporation being carried out such that said sub-assembly temperature does not exceed about 80* C and about 145* C when said photoconductor material is, respectively, selenium and a compound consisting essentially of one of selenium-arsenic and arsenic-tellurium; c. providing an electrically conducting second layer on said photoconductor layer, said second layer being transparent to said second wavelength radiation and being of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of a noble metal and a semiconductor material, said second layer being provided by one of evaporation and cathode sputtering under such conditions that said sub-assembly temperature does not exceed about 80* C and about 145* C when said photoconductor material is, respectively, selenium and a compound consisting essentially of one of selenium-arsenic and arsenic-tellurium; and then d. providing electrical connection means to said conducting first and second layers.

Claim 10

A method of producing the optic relay comprising the steps of: a. providing a sub-assembly comprising i. a substrate transparent to first wavelength radiation, ii. an electrically conducting first layer disposed at said substrate and transparent to said first wavelength radiation, iii. a plate consisting of electro-optic material and disposed at said first layer, said first layer being disposed between said substrate and said electro-optic plate, said electro-optic material exhibiting a Curie temperature and being characterized by a double refraction varying with the potential difference thereacross; and iv. a multi-layer dielectric mirror disposed at said electro-optic plate and removed from said first layer, said mirror comprising material selected from the group consisting essentially of LiF, CaF2, ZnS, MgO, Ta2O5, Al2O3, and TiO2; b. evaporating a photoconducting material on said mirror to form a photoconducting layer, said material being responsive to second wavelength radiation and being selected from the group consisting essentially of selenium, an arsenic-selenium compound, and an arsenic-tellurium compound, said layer being one of substantially completely Amorphous and only slightly crystalline, said evaporation being carried out such that said sub-assembly temperature does not exceed about 80* C and about 145* C when said photoconductor material is, respectively, selenium and a compound consisting essentially of one of selenium-arsenic and arsenic-tellurium; c. providing an electrically conducting second layer on said photoconductor layer, said second layer being transparent to said second wavelength radiation and being of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of a noble metal and a semiconductor material, said second layer being provided by one of evaporation and cathode sputtering under such conditions that said sub-assembly temperature does not exceed about 80* C and about 145* C when said photoconductor material is, respectively, selenium and a compound consisting essentially of one of selenium-arsenic and arsenic-tellurium; and then d. providing electrical connection means to said conducting first and second layers.