light switch

[ionomolo]

Somebody knows of something capable to block a light beam depending on an electric signal?

It should block all the incoming light and be as fast as possible, but i would trade speed for ability to block light.

I can find a lot of patents online but not a "buy-able item".

Any idea?

EDIT: I think it should be something from the microelectromechanical bin, probably fiber-optic related.

 

[croat47]

Did you try Edmund Optics?

http://www.edmundoptics.com/

Tons of shutters, splitters, lenses, etc.

Like this one...

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=2813

But, not too sure of your budget. Look around there, though.

 

[ionomolo]

Did you try Edmund Optics?

http://www.edmundoptics.com/

Tons of shutters, splitters, lenses, etc.

Like this one...

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=2813

But, not too sure of your budget. Look around there, though.

Thanks for your quick reply! I was looking for something that "turned black" or "turned transparent" when as a response to an applied voltage, but that did at 100KHz minimum (if i didn't need high speed i would use a calculator LCD screen). I belive that such a thing might be used in some optical fiber systems as an alternative to switching the LED or laser.

 

[croat47]

There are also "choppers" like this one:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/onlinecatalog/displayproduct.cfm?productID=2223

But, only 20kHz top end.

Wonder what the recovery time for a liquid crystal is and if that would even allow 100kHz?

What about this:

http://www.optronsystems.com/html/products_shutters.htm

 

[ionomolo]

LCD screens have long response times, arround 20 ms, so i don't think they could work. The optical shutter is a high-end version of what i'm looking for (i only want to have it either on or off, not a linear system)