Electro-optical dipole suspension with reflective-absorptive-transmissive characteristics

Claim 1

A composition of matter comprising a surfactant fluid, a suspension of assymetric conducting reflective particles in said fluid, said particles having a length L, wherein 1<L<5 μm, an electric charge on each said particle, said charge having the same sign and comprising at least one electron charge per particle, said charges producing a repulsion force between the said particles balancing the settling force on said particles due to gravity, said particles in said fluid being thereby constituting a stable nonsettling suspension, the concentration of said suspension being characterized by an interparticle distance λL, wherein 1<λ<3, said suspension being further characterized by the electrooptical properties of a volume of said fluid suspension in a layer having parallel surfaces, said surfaces being separated by a thickness 3<d<30 Ξm, said layer having an electric field E normal to said surfaces, said composition in said layer having a silvery-reflectance when said electric field is 0, said composition in said layer becoming black-absorptive as the said electric field is increased from 0 to E 1 , said composition in said layer remaining black-absorptive when said electric field is between E 1 and E 2 , and said composition in said layer becoming transparent when said electric field is increased from E 2 to E 3 .