Method and Apparatus for Converting Phase-Modulated Light to Amplitude-Modulated Light and Communication Method and Apparatus Employing the Same

This invention relates to phase modulating polarized light by transmitting the polarized light through at least one liquid crystal cell containing a thin layer of nematic liquid crystal composition having positive dielectric anisotropy, and thereafter converting the phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light by means of a linear polarizer.

Liquid crystal cells containing a layer of nematic liwuid crystal composition between a pair of parallel transparent plates are employed in a variety of optical installations. Such devices are used principally in digital display devices.

In my copending U.S. application Ser. No. 121,071, filed Feb. 17, 1980, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,806, an improved liquid crystal cell is described wherein a conductive transparent film is provided on each side of the transparent flat plates which confine the liquid crystal composition. An electrical bias voltage, AC or DC, is applied to the two thin films to permit the liquid crystal composition to respond rapidly to additional electrical voltage applied across the two conductive coatings.

It is also known that thin layers of liquid crystal composition will bring about a phase shift in a beam of polarized light which is transmitted through the liquid crystal composition. Heretofore, the devices have been employed as light shutters which block the polarized light in the regions where an electrical field is established across the liquid crystal composition. Typical turn-off times of 250-300 milliseconds are common with existing liquid crystal light shutters which employ nematic liquid crystals. Such response time is much too large to permit the use of such devices in high speed communication.

In my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 235,006 filed Feb. 17, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,376, I have provided a communications system wherein a light beam is polarized and phase-modulated for transmission to a receiving station which includes a demodulator. The transmitted light is a phase-modulated light which requires a phase splitter and a demodulator at the receiving station to convert the phase-modulated light to intelligible form. A receiving station for a phase-modulated light requires complex detection facilities.

There exists a need for simple, inexpensive, lightweight detection facilities for the phase-modulated light transmissions which have been described in my copending application Ser. No. 235,006 aforesaid.

According to the present invention, phase-modulated light is generated from a light source which is initially polarized in a single plane through a linear polarizer and thereafter passes through a liquid crystal cell to which a modulated electrical carrier wave signal is applied as an electrical potential in the manner described in my copending application Ser. No. 235,006. The resulting light has a phase modulation, i.e., the quadrature components are out of phase with each other by an amount corresponding to the modulated electrical carrier wave signal. This phase-modulated light is passed through a linear polarizer which converts the phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light whose amplitude corresponds to the modulation of the original modulated electrical carrier wave signal. The amplitude-modulated light can be detected by a simple light detector such as a photocell whose electrical output can be demodulated and converted to intelligible information.

The linear polarizer which converts the phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light can be provided adjacent to the transmitting modulator station whereby the light transmitted to the demodulating receiver station will be amplitude-modulated light. Alternatively the linear polarizer may be provided in the demodulating receiving station whereby the transmitted light will be the phase-modulated light.

A principal object of the invention is to convert phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light by delivering the phase-modulated light through a linear polarizer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a communications system involving a source of phase-modulated light, a linear polarizer for converting the phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light and a light detector to convert the amplitude-modulated light to an electrical signal which can be further transmitted or demodulated or both.

According to the present invention, liquid crystal cells as described in the aforesaid U.S. patent application Ser. No. 121,071 can achieve remarkably rapid response times. Switching speeds of 10 microseconds have been achieved. Such high speed switching permits the application of oscillatory electrical signals of the order of 10 hertz to 500 kilohertz to be applied effectively to such liquid crystal cells. In accordance with this invention, an oscillatory carrier wave signal, for example, a 30 kilocycle signal, is modulated with a lower frequency communication signal, for example, an audio frequency signal or a series of signal pulses. The resulting modulated carrier wave is applied across the conductive surfaces of the electrically biased liquid crystal cell. A beam of polarized light, transmitted through such liquid crystal cell, will experience a phase shift in accordance with the applied modulated carrier wave. The resulting transmitted light beam has an identifiable phase shift which can be detected at a detection location which is remote from the light source. The detection station has facilities for separating the transmitted light beam into its quadrature components. Each of the quadrature components activates an appropriate photo responsive transducer to generate an electrical analog signal corresponding to the observed phase of each quadrature component of the light beam. The analog electrical signals are compared and a differential signal is demodulated to reproduce at the receiving location an electrical signal corresponding to the original input audio signal or chain of pulse signals introduced at the transmitting location.

The liquid crystal cell in this invention consists of a pair of transparent flat plates which are coated with an electrically conductive transparent coating and some parallel surface alignment treatment such as a polyvinyl alcohol coating which has been rubbed uniaxially. The parallel alignment of both transparent plates is parallel in this surface mode modulation invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a transmitter modulator station for generating amplitude-modulated light.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a receiver demodulator station coordinated with the transmitter station of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a transmitter modulator station for generating phase-modulated light.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a receiver demodulator station for converting phase-modulated light to amplitude-modulated light, coordinated with the transmitter station of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section illustration taken through a light modulating liquid crystal cell unit.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a further improvement in the transmitter modulator station of FIG. 1.

In accordance with the present invention, a beam of polarized light can be phase modulated in a predictable and reproduceable fashion and thereafter can be amplitude-modulated. It is essential that the source of light be polarized initially and that the polarized light be transmitted through at least one liquid crystal cell having a thin layer of a nematic crystal composition having positive dielectric anisotropy. The liquid crystal layer is confined between parallel transparent plates, such as glass plates, which are coated with a transparent electrically conductive coating such as tin oxide or indium oxide and which are aligned by any appropriate alignment techniques such as uniaxial rubbing of a polyvinyl alcohol coating or by means of uniaxial drying techniques for other coatings. In accordance with the teachings of the aforesaid copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 121,071, an electrical signal is applied as a bias to the two transparent electrically conductive coatings in order to align the preponderance of the liquid crystal layer except for the liquid crystal molecules immediately adjacent to the electrical conductive coatings. Thereafter the magnitude of an applied electrical signal across the two electrical conductive coatings will determine the amount by which a polarized light beam will have its phase shifted in traversing the liquid crystal cell.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a light source 10 and a linear polarizer 11 in line with an electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12. A light beam 50 from source 10 is delivered from polarizer 11 as a polarized beam 51 to the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12. The electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12 develops a phase shift in the polarized light beam 51 which is transmitted as the light beam 14. The light beam 14 is phase-modulated in accordance with the amount of phase shift introduced into the light by the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12. The phase-modulated light beam 14 is delivered through a linear polarizer 15 which converts the phase-modulated light beam 14 to a corresponding amplitude-modulated light beam 16.

The amount of phase shift introduced into the light beam 14 by the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12 may be related to an input oscillatory signal from a source 23 which is modulated in a modulator 24 to produce a modulated carrier wave signal which is applied through conductor 25 across the liquid crystal film of the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12.

The light beam 16 has an amplitude which corresponds to the input oscillatory signal from the source 23. The light beam 16 is delivered at a receiving station in FIG. 2 to a light detector 17 such as a photosensitive detector which develops an electrical signal for delivery through a conductor 18 to a demodulator 19 which develops an electrical signal 20 corresponding to the input oscillatory signal 23.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the light beam 16 which is transmitted from the transmitter station of FIG. 1 to the receiver station of FIG. 2 is an amplitude-modulated light beam. This light beam 16 can be interrupted easily by any person who can observe the light beam 16. The light source 10 may be an ordinary incandescent lamp bulb, an infrared light source, an ultra-violet light source, a laser light source, a monochromatic light source or any other source of light. The light source 10 can be particularly selected to increase the security of the transmission system.

An alternative installation is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein a light source 10 delivers a light beam 50 to a linear polarizer 11 which generates a polarized beam of light 51 for delivery to an electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12 which modulates the light beam 51 in accordance with the input oscillatory signal from source 23 to produce a phase-modulated light beam 14'. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the transmitted light beam 14' is phase-modulated light which is received at the receiving station of FIG. 4 and delivered through a linear polarizer 15' to produce amplitude-modulated light 16' which is directed against a light detector 17 operating in the manner of the light detector 17 of FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the transmitted light 14' is phase-modulated light which can be detected by an appropriate phase demodulator as described in my copending application Ser. No. 235,006 aforesaid or can be detected with the amplitude-modulation conversion detector of FIG. 4.

The embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 provides substantial security to the transmitted light 14' and yet avoids the need for complex demodulating facilities at the receiving station of FIG. 4. The phase-modulation light transmission as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 provides a better signal-to-noise ratio and less distortion in the communication system.

A typical electrically biased, liquid crystal cell for the present purposes is illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein a pair of transparent plates 33 is spaced apart. The transparent plates 33 preferably are optically clear glass although other glass may be employed as well as appropriate transparent plastic substances. Each of the transparent plates 33 has a transparent electrically conductive coating 26 such as tin oxide or indium oxide. A thin layer 27 of nematic liquid crystal composition having positive dielectric anisotropy is provided between the two layers 26. The nematic liquid crystal 27 is preferably from about 6 to 60 microns in thickness. An appropriate perimeter seal such as a collar 28 is provided to confine the liquid crystal layer 27 and to retain the plates 33 in fixed relationship. Two electrical conductors 29, 30 are connected, one to each of the electrically conductive coatings 26 for applying electrical signals across the nematic liquid crystal layer 27.

In the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, two individual crystal cells of the type shown in FIG. 5 may be employed in series.

Liquid crystal compositions in general are well known. The liquid crystal cell should not have excessive absorption for the light which is being transmitted. For example, where infrared light is employed as a light source 10, the selection of the liquid crystal composition should take this factor into consideration and avoid compositions which have an absorption spectrum which includes infrared wave lengths.

By way of example, the nematic liquid crystals may include phenyl-cyclohexanes, cyano-phenyl-alkyl-benzoates and dialkyl benzoates. No problems have been encountered with the use of Shiff bases as an ingredient of the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition may be a pure single liquid crystal or may be mixtures of different liquid crystal compositions.

What is important in the present invention is the application of an electrical bias between the conductors 29, 30 which will have the effect of biasing the preponderance of the liquid crystal ingredients in the layer 27 so that the application of incremental electrical signals across the conducting layers 26 will achieve a rapid on-off cycle for the cell. The principle of applying an electrical bias is fully disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 121,071 aforesaid. The electrical bias which is applied to the conductors 29, 30 may be a DC bias or an AC bias. If an AC signal is applied as the bias for the liquid crystal cell, its frequency should be dissimilar to the frequency of any carrier signals which are employed as a modulating signal. By providing an electrical bias, the liquid crystal cell may be rapidly and reliably regulated whereby the phase shift experienced by a polarized light beam traversing through the liquid crystal cell will be dependent upon the instantaneous amplitude of the applied modulating signal. An appropriate modulating signal may be applied to the electrically conductive layers 26 through electrical conductors 31, 32 (FIG. 5) or may be added to the bias conductors 29, 30. By providing a liquid crystal cell having a response cycle time less than 30 milliseconds, the liquid crystal cell can react to oscillatory electrical impulses having frequencies of 300 kilohertz.

Referring to FIG. 1, a light source 10 having a wave length from about 4 microns to about 240 millimicrons delivers a beam of light 50 through a linear polarizer 11 to develop a polarized light beam 51. The polarized light beam 51 is delivered through the transparent liquid crystal cell 12 to generate a phase shifted light beam 14. The polarized light beam 51 is a light beam having waves which vibrate primarily in parallel planes. As is well known, the light waves which appear to be in the polarization planes are resultant waves which can be considered to have a fast axis component and a slow axis component at right angles to each other, also known as quadrature components. The polarized light beam 51, when passing through the liquid crystal cell 12, will experience a retardation of the slow axis component by an amount which is dependent upon the intensity of the electrical charge on the liquid crystal cell 12. Thus the light beam 14 can be distinguished from the polarized light beam 51 in that the slow axis components of the beam have been retarded by a measurable amount which is less than a quarter wave length of the light in the beam 50. The light beam 14 may be employed as a modulated light beam for delivering communications if desired. However, it is preferred to deliver the phase modulated light beam 14 through a second liquid crystal cell (not shown) to increase the linearity of the phase modulated beam. The oscillatory electrical signal applied to said second liquid crystal cell is the inverted oscillatory electrical signal which appears at conductor 25. Two such sequential liquid crystal cells function in a manner analogous to that of a push-pull amplifier, and thus greatly reduce harmonic distortions.

The present light conversion invention functions best with monochromatic light wherein significant phase shifts can be achieved. When operating with white light, the phase shift should be relatively small, that is, within a total range of 180 degrees. Where monochromatic light is employed, the phase shift may be substantial, i.e., plus or minus 90 degrees from any amount of phase shift. For example, the initial light may be shifted through 360 degrees and the modulation may occur plus or minus 90 degrees from the 360 degree phase shift.

The linear polarizer 15 (FIG. 1) and 15' (FIG. 4) which is employed to convert the phase-modulated light should have its polarization plane parallel to the polarization plane of the polarizer 11 which develops the polarized light 50. The need for aligning the linear polarizers 15, 11 and 15', 11 can be averted as shown in FIG. 6. A one-quarter wave retardation plate 40 is introduced into the optical system between the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12 and a modulation converting linear polarizer 15". For example in FIG. 6, the quarter wave retardation plate 40 would be inserted in a beam 14" whereby the orientation of the linear polarizer 15" with respect to the linear polarizer 11 becomes unimportant.

The quarter wave retardation plate 40 is oriented at 45 degrees to the plane of the linear polarizer 11. The quarter wave retardation plate 40 may be a component of the transmitter station in which embodiment the light beam 52' will be transmitted as phase-modulated light; the linear polarizer 15" will be part of the receiving station in this embodiment. In an alternative embodiment, the quarter wave retardation plate 40 may be combined in a receiver station with the linear polarizer 15"; in this embodiment the light beam 14" will be transmitted as phase-modulated light. In both embodiments the orientation of the linear polarizer 15" with respect to the linear polarizer 11 is unimportant because of the compensation supplied by the quarter wave retardation plate 40 which is interposed in the optical path between the electrically biased, liquid crystal cell 12 and the linear polarizer 15".

In a still further embodiment, the quarter wave plate 40 and the linear polarizer 15" can be included in the transmitter station; in this embodiment the light beam 53 will be transmitted as amplitude-modulated light.