Akinori Hashimura

8223425, Jul 17, 2012

Dec 23, 2009

12/646585

Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02B 26/00

359296

A plasmonic display device is provided that uses physical modulation mechanisms. The device is made from an electrically conductive bottom electrode and a first dielectric layer overlying the bottom electrode. The first dielectric layer is a piezoelectric material having an index of expansion responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode overlies the first dielectric layer. A first plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes and in contact with the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic particles are an expandable polymer material covered with a metal coating having a size responsive to an electric field.

8270066, Sep 18, 2012

Aug 31, 2010

12/873138

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02B 26/00
G02F 1/1335

359296, 349106

A display device is provided for reflecting a black color, as enabled by an optical splitting photonic liquid crystal waveguide. Sets of top and bottom electrodes are formed in a periodic pattern. A first dielectric layer overlies the set of bottom electrodes, made from a liquid crystal (LC) material with molecules having dipoles responsive to an electric field. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the sets of top and bottom electrodes, and is in contact with the first dielectric layer. A voltage potential is applied between the top and bottom electrodes, generating an electric field. Dipole local orientation and non-orientation regions are created in the liquid crystal molecules in response to the electric field, and a wavelength of light outside the visible spectrum is reflected in response to optical spectrum splitting of the incident light.

8339543, Dec 25, 2012

Nov 19, 2009

12/621567

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02F 1/1333

349 88, 349106, 349166, 359296

A plasmonic display device is provided having dual modulation mechanisms. The device has an electrically conductive bottom electrode that may be either transparent or reflective. A dielectric layer overlies the bottom electrode, made from an elastic polymer material having a refractive index responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode, either transparent or reflective, overlies the dielectric layer. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes and in contact with the dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is embedded in the dielectric layer. Alternately, the plasmonic layer overlies the bottom (or top) electrode. Then, the dielectric layer overlies the plasmonic layer particles and exposed regions of the bottom electrode between the first plasmonic layer particles.

8355099, Jan 15, 2013

Dec 10, 2009

12/635349

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Jiandong Huang - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Labortories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02F 1/1333

349 88, 349106, 349166, 359296

A plasmonic display device is provided with liquid crystal dipole molecule control. The device is made from a first set of electrodes including at least one electrically conductive top electrode and at least one electrically conductive bottom electrode capable of generating a first electric field in a first direction. A second set of electrodes, including an electrically conductive right electrode and an electrically conductive left electrode, is capable of generating a second electric field in a second first direction. A dielectric layer overlies the bottom electrode, made from a liquid crystal material with molecules having dipoles responsive to an electric field. A plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the first and second set of electrodes and in contact with the dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is embedded in the dielectric layer.

8368998, Feb 5, 2013

Jul 14, 2010

12/836121

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02B 26/00

359296, 359452, 359228, 359245, 359315

A method is provided for color tuning a plasmonic device with a color tunable electronic skin. A plasmonic electronic skin is used, including a first substrate, a plasmonic structure, an electrically conductive transparent first electrode layer, an electrically conductive transparent second electrode layer, and a polymer-networked liquid crystal (PNLC) layer interposed between the first and second transparent electrode layers. In response to receiving a color tuning voltage, a full visible spectrum incident light, and a PNLC switch voltage, the plasmonic structure generates a first primary color. A primary color exhibits a single wavelength peak with a spectral full width at half magnitudes (FWHMs) in the visible spectrum of light. In response to receiving the PNLC switch voltage between the first and second electrode layers, the PNLC layer passes incident light.

8422114, Apr 16, 2013

Jun 25, 2012

13/532177

Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02B 26/00

359290, 359296

A plasmonic display device is provided that uses physical modulation mechanisms. The device is made from an electrically conductive bottom electrode and a first dielectric layer overlying the bottom electrode. The first dielectric layer is a piezoelectric material having an index of expansion responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode overlies the first dielectric layer. A first plasmonic layer, including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles, is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes and in contact with the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the plasmonic particles are an expandable polymer material covered with a metal coating having a size responsive to an electric field.

8503064, Aug 6, 2013

Jun 9, 2011

13/157225

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02B 26/00

359296, 359245

An electrical pressure-sensitive reflective display includes an array of display pixels, each with a transparent top surface, first electrode, second electrode, an elastic polymer medium, and metallic nanoparticles distributed in the elastic polymer medium. When a first voltage potential is applied between the first and second electrodes of each display pixel, a first color is reflected from the incident spectrum of light, assuming no pressure is applied on the top surface of each display pixel. When the top surface of a first display pixel is deformed in response to an applied pressure, the elastic polymer medium in the first display pixel is compressed, decreasing the metallic nanoparticle-to-metallic nanoparticle mean distance in the first display pixel. In response to decreasing the metallic nanoparticle-to-metallic nanoparticle mean distance, the color reflected from the incident spectrum of light by the second display pixel is changed from the first color to second color.

8045107, Oct 25, 2011

Nov 6, 2009

12/614368

Liang Tang - Vancouver WA, US
Akinori Hashimura - Vancouver WA, US
Apostolos T. Voutsas - Portland OR, US

Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. - Camas WA

G02F 1/1335
G02B 26/00
H01L 21/00

349117, 349106, 349166, 349187, 359290, 438 30

A color-tunable plasmonic device is provided with a partially modulated refractive index. A first dielectric layer overlies a bottom electrode, and has a refractive index non-responsive to an electric field. A second dielectric layer overlies the first dielectric layer, having a refractive index responsive to an electric field. An electrically conductive top electrode overlies the second dielectric layer. A plasmonic layer including a plurality of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the top and bottom electrodes. In one aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first and second dielectric layers. In a second aspect, the plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode. In a third aspect, a first plasmonic layer is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode, and a second plasmonic layer of discrete plasmonic particles is interposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.