Spatial and temporal light modulator based on a photoconductor–liquid crystal structure with a glass fiber component

A description is given of a spatial and temporal light modulator based on a structure formed from a glassy chalcogenide semiconductor and a liquid crystal operating in reflected light. An investigation was made of the main characteristics of this modulator. It was found that the use of a glassy chalcogenide semiconductor as a photosensitive layer ensured a high sensitivity (10^–7 W/cm²) of the modulator as well as a high resolution, which amounted to 50 pairs of lines/mm when an optical fiber plate was used and 90 pairs of lines/mm without such a plate. The modulator was used successfully to transfer data from the screen of an electronbeam device to a coherent-optical data processing system.