摘要：
A monolithic transmissive or reflective light valve system able to withstand operation with high optical fluence and high average power lasers is described. The light valve includes a liquid crystal layer on an alignment layer, a first epitaxial doped semiconductor transparent electrode on a photoconductor layer made of a first wide bandgap or ultrawide bandgap semi-insulating semiconductor layer (or wafer). A second epitaxial semiconductor transparent electrode layer brackets the light valve and includes a second wide bandgap or ultrawide bandgap semi-insulating, or conductive semiconductor layer (or wafer). In some embodiments, the doped epitaxial or ion implanted transparent electrode and photoconductor layers have matched coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and further matched CTE to the second wide bandgap material bracketing the light valve. In some embodiments, the transparent electrode and photoconductor layers have matched index of refraction, along with matched photoexcitation levels.
权利要求：
Attorney Docket No. SEUR-06301
CLAIMS
1. A transmissive light valve system, comprising a liquid crystal layer; a first semiconductor transparent electrode layer on a semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than 3 ev; and a second semiconductor transparent electrode layer comprising a semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than 3 ev and a second transparent conductive electrode.
2. The light valve system of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductor layers have a bandgap greater than 4 eV
3. The light valve system of claim 1, wherein the first and second semiconductor layers comprise at least one of a GaN semi-insulating layer acting as photoconductor in the light valve, an iron doped compensated FeGaN semi-insulating layer, and a Carbon or Manganese doped compensated semi-insulating GaN, and a V-SiC semi-insulating layer
4. The light valve system of claim 1, wherein the first and second transparent conductive electrode comprise at least one of n-epi GaN, n-epi SiC, ion implanted GaN, ion implanted SiC, and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO).
5. The light valve system of claim 1, further comprising a first alignment layer positioned between the first transparent conductive electrode and the liquid crystal; and a second alignment layer positioned between the second transparent conductive electrode and the liquid crystal.
6. The light valve system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second alignment layers comprises a grown inorganic layer.
Attorney Docket No. SEUR-06301 The light valve system of claim 5, wherein the liquid crystal layer, the first and second transparent electrode and photoconductor layers, the first and second alignment layers, together form a monolithic stack. The light valve system of claim 5, further comprising at least one antireflective (AR) coating positioned to contact at least one of the first and second transparent electrode photoconductor layers and the first and second alignment layers, and together forming a monolithic stack. The light valve system of claim 5, wherein the light valve operates with an energy density greater than 2 Joules/cm2A monolithic transmissive light valve system, comprising a liquid crystal layer; a first semiconductor transparent electrode on a semi-insulating photoconductor layer comprising a first wide bandgap semiconductor layer and a first transparent conductive electrode; a second transparent electrode layer on a second wide bandgap or ultrawide bandgap semi-insulating semiconductor layer and a second transparent conductive electrode; and further comprising a plurality of alignment layers and antireflective layers monolithically formed on at least one of the first transparent electrode photoconductor layer, first transparent conductive electrode, second transparent electrode photoconductor layer, and second transparent conductive electrode. A process for manufacturing a transmissive light valve system, comprising the steps of providing a liquid crystal layer;
Attorney Docket No. SEUR-06301 positioning a first transparent electrode on a photoconductor layer comprising a first semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than 3 ev and a first transparent conductive electrode in contact with the liquid crystal layer; and positioning a second transparent electrode layer comprising a semi-insulating semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than 3 ev and a second transparent conductive electrode in contact with the liquid crystal layer. A reflective light valve system, comprising a transparent electrode and a photoconductor layer comprising a semiconductor layer having a bandgap greater than 3 ev; a reflective layer contacting the photoconductor layer with a transparent electrode; a transparent conductive electrode; and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the reflective layer and the transparent conductive electrode or a photoconductor layer with a transparent electrode.