text:
Of these two, which is more farcical?
A jihadi is eating breakfast and gets waxed? (Not Brazilian waxed, but an old-school mafia waxing.) Then, his men's club celebrates the fact that ol' Abu could not finish his short stack of pancakes:
We celebrate to you the news of the martyrdom of the working scholar Shaykh Khalid al-Hussainan (Abu Zaid al-Kuwaiti) while eating his Suhoor (dawn time) meal, and we ask Allah to accept him in paradise.
Evan Kohlmann, an NBC News counterterrorism analyst, said al-Hussainan was at the forefront of a new wave of al-Qaida leadership.
"That's a big gap in the leadership," said Kohlmann.
Or the fact that the Pakistani Taliban is recruiting via Facebook:
THE Pakistani Taliban has set up a page on Facebook to recruit enthusiasts to write for a quarterly magazine and to edit video, a spokesman confirmed.
The Umar Media TTP page, which has more than 270 likes, appears to have been created in September and has just a handful of messages written in English.
"Umar Media is proud to announce online jobs oppertunities (sic)," says the first post on the networking website, written on October 25.
"Job discription (sic) is video editing, translations, sharing, uploading, downloading and collection of required data," it says, giving an email address and asking readers to "plz spread it. This fb account ma be deleted."
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan confirmed to AFP by telephone on Friday that the faction was "temporarily" using the page "to fulfil its requirements" before launching its own website.
Ummmm, Umar Media, have you guys tried monster.com? I hear they get good results.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Arthur Kemp's Blog
Random Thoughts and Updates on Various Topics of Interest to myself, and hopefully others as well.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Saturday, 7 June 2014
A Monkey in Silk is a Monkey No Less
Current mayor of London, the UK Conservative Party's Boris Johnson, has recently (Thursday, 5 June 2014) announced in a piece in the UK's The Telegraph newspaper that:
London will fall like the Greek city of Sparta if it turns away immigrants like the ancient militaristic regime which "kicked people out.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to bring down immigration into the tens of thousands was a "policy failure" and should never have been attempted, the Mayor said.
"Look at Athens and Sparta," Johnson told the Telegraph.
"Athens was an open city and Sparta kicked people out. Go and look at the ruins of Athens and Sparta now and ask which of the two cities made the greatest contribution to civilisation. Look at the greatness of the American economy."
Johnson was educated at the European School of Brussels, Ashdown House School, Eton College, and Balliol College, Oxford—where, of all things, he read Classics.
He began a career in journalism with The Times and then The Telegraph, where he became Assistant Editor from 1994 to 1999. In that year, he became editor of The Spectator, a position he held until his election as a Member of Parliament in 2005. In 2008, he became Mayor of London.
Given all this, one might be forgiven for thinking that Johnson might actually know what he is talking about.
So why this blog post? Well, simply put, Johnson is talking complete and utter rubbish.
I had the temerity to scribble off a letter to The Telegraph in response to Johnson's article.
I have no hope that they will actually print it, of course, so I thought I might as well put it up here, just for amusement, if nothing else:
Letters to the Editor
The Telegraph
With reference to Boris Johnson's utterly unfounded claims that Sparta fell because it did not welcome foreigners (The Telegraph, 5 June 2014), please allow me to correct his clearly deficient historical knowledge.
The truth is exactly the opposite of what Mr. Johnson claims:
Firstly, it was Athens, not Sparta, which introduced a law in 451 BC which limited citizenship of that city state to those of Athenian biological descent only; and
Secondly, Sparta fell because it exhausted itself in military adventures, not because it expelled foreigners.
Mr. Johnson is obviously unaware that in 451 BC, the last great Athenian leader, Pericles, enacted a law which definitively expelled foreigners from Athenian citizenship.
As detailed in Aristotle's book, Politics (Book 3, 1278a), Pericles' law limited Athenian citizenship to those who had biological descent from Athenians—in other words, only those born of an Athenian mother and an Athenian father could be citizens of Athens.
Sparta never had any such law—so it was Athens, which did give so much to Western civilization, which "expelled foreigners," not Sparta.
With regard to Sparta, what Mr. Johnson is mistakenly referring to is an institution known as the Crypteia.
This institution, according to Plutarch, was an annual event where on one night a year, certain private Spartan militia would hunt down and kill helots, or the lowest class members in Spartan society. It is true that these helots were not Spartans.
But Sparta did not fall because of this annual private militia action.
In fact, Sparta conquered all of southern Greece when its armies defeated those of Athens during the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), and remained supreme until 371 BC.
In that latter year, the Spartan army, which was already weakened by almost continual war, was defeated by a new alliance of people from central Greece, the Boerotians and Thebans, at the Battle of Leuctra.
This 371 BC defeat was so massive that Sparta, finally bled dry of its warrior class, was never again able to dominate Greece, and their territory was absorbed into the Second Achaean League, a confederation of Greek city states which lasted from 280 BC and 146 BC.
There is therefore, no link to Sparta "not welcoming foreigners" and its collapse, as Mr Johnson alleges.
Even worse for Mr. Johnson's already twisted thesis, the Athenian civilization collapsed long before Sparta.
The Athenian Golden Age ended with the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC—so actually Sparta outlived classical Athens by over a century.
Mr Johnson should really do his research better.
As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."
Yours sincerely
It might be a coincidence, but shortly after I sent this letter, Johnson's article suddenly vanished off the Telegraph's website, and the URL was replaced with this message:
Fortunately, the article was copied by the Huffington Post, and you can still read it there.
God help Britain if this is the quality of "intellectual" who is not only Mayor of London, but also pretender to the leadership of the Conservative Party.
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Hungarian Prime Minister Echoes March of the Titans
"History has shown us that the civilisations that cannot biologically be maintained, will disappear"—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
I am happy indeed to read that the current Hungarian Prime Minister and leader of the Fidesz Party has announced to what must have been a shocked shriek of liberals* one of the basic principles of March of the Titans: that any given civilisation only exists for as long as its founding population remains intact.
Vicktor Orbán made his announcement before the WDR Forum in Berlin—you can read all about it here.
Would it be too much to hope that this understanding is now at last beginning to percolate out to the wider society, and Europeans in particular?
Maybe it's too early to tell, but the signs from Hungary are encouraging, to say the least.
The basic principle which the Hungarian Prime Minister endorsed can be found in the prologue to March of the Titans, here.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
New Study: "A Genetic Atlas of Human Admixture History"
A fascinating new study whose online component has an interactive DNA map has provided a dramatic visual overview of the racial history of selected groups around the world—and has confirmed the essential thesis of March of the Titans.
The new study, titled "A Genetic Atlas of Human Admixture History," published in Science 14 February 2014: Vol. 343 no. 6172 pp. 747-751 (DOI: 10.1126/science.1243518) says the following in its abstract summary:
"Modern genetic data combined with appropriate statistical methods have the potential to contribute substantially to our understanding of human history.
"We have developed an approach that exploits the genomic structure of admixed populations to date and characterize historical mixture events at fine scales.
"We used this to produce an atlas of worldwide human admixture history, constructed by using genetic data alone and encompassing over 100 events occurring over the past 4000 years.
"We identified events whose dates and participants suggest they describe genetic impacts of the Mongol empire, Arab slave trade, Bantu expansion, first millennium CE migrations in Eastern Europe, and European colonialism, as well as unrecorded events, revealing admixture to be an almost universal force shaping human populations."
This remarkable study's online element can be found here, or by clicking on the graphic below.
By clicking on a population group on the map, an automatic display comes up showing the broad genetic compositions of each sample group.
It is important to note that the results are, of course, only based on the returns provided by each sample group, and should not automatically be presumed to be representative of every single individual in that particular group.
Nonetheless, the map essentially proves once again the accuracy of the historical account of racial demographic population shifts, as outlined in March of the Titans.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Mandela Lied to World: South African Communist Party Admits He was Senior Central Committee Member
The South African Communist Party has finally admitted that Nelson Mandela was a senior Central Committee member, exposing as lies the deceased ANC's leader's claims to the contrary made in his autobiography, his official biography and during the famous Rivonia Treason Trial, where he denied to the world that he was a Communist party member.
The post-mortem confession by the Stalinist SA Communist Party (SACP) is contained in the latest edition of their party journal, Umsebenzi, as part of their eulogy to Mandela.
The article, titled "The true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love," the SACP wrote that
"At his arrest in August 1962, Nelson Mandela was not only a member of the then underground South African Communist Party, but was also a member of our Party's Central Committee.
"To us as South African communists, Cde Mandela shall forever symbolise the monumental contribution of the SACP in our liberation struggle."The contribution of communists in the struggle to achieve the South African freedom has very few parallels in the history of our country. After his release from prison in 1990, Cde Madiba became a great and close friend of the communists till his last days" (Umsebenzi Online, Volume 12, No. 42, 6December 2013).
Not only does this confession finally end the debate over whether Mandela was a Communist or not, but it also reveals him to have lied blatantly on at least three public occasions over the matter.
The first time was at the trial at which he was sentenced to prison, where, in his statement to the court, he denied being an SACP member in the light of a handwritten (by him) document being handed in as evidence titled "How to be a Good Communist."
At the time, Mandela admitted to writing it, but claimed that it was just a copy of something someone else had written, and was not authored by him.
Addressing the court, Mandela declared that he had "never been a member of the Communist Party," and that he disagreed with the movement's contempt for Western-style parliamentary democracy.
In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela also denied in writing that he was an SACP member (Mandela, Nelson (1994), Long Walk to Freedom Volume I: 1918–1962, Little, Brown and Company, p. 365).
Finally, in his authorized biography, Mandela: The Authorised Biography, he also denied being an SACP member (Sampson, Anthony (2011) [1999], Mandela: The Authorised Biography, London: HarperCollins. pp. 135–138).
It must be remembered that, at the time when Mandela was an SACP Central Committee member, the party was completely allied to the Soviet Union, which had only recently brutally repressed democratic uprisings in a number of eastern European nations.
The news that Mandela chose to lie about his hard-line Communist affiliations is unlikely to worry the sycophantic westerners now grovelling at his passing.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
To Those Who Don't Understand
To those who don't understand my previous post: this one is for you.
I love Ireland. Maybe it's because my grandmother was Irish, but whatever the case, Richie Kavanagh just sums so much up:
I love Ireland. Maybe it's because my grandmother was Irish, but whatever the case, Richie Kavanagh just sums so much up:
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Nelson Mandela Dies: A Nationalist Reappraisal, or, Where Would You Have Stood as a Black Person in Pre-1994 South Africa?
Commentary on the news of the death of 95-year-old Nelson Mandela will vary tremendously, from fawning obsequience and hero-worship in the mass media, to outright condemnation by "right wing" commentators.
I would like to take a different approach, not only because I want to be different, but also because this is something which I really believe and which the "right wing" would do well to consider.
The time has come for all honest pro-European activists across the world to take on a new perspective of this African nationalist.
I would like to take a different approach, not only because I want to be different, but also because this is something which I really believe and which the "right wing" would do well to consider.
The time has come for all honest pro-European activists across the world to take on a new perspective of this African nationalist.
Yes, Mandela was a Communist.
Yes, although Mandela personally did not kill anybody, and never set off any bombs, or even shoot a gun in anger—he certainly had the intention to do so and the organization which he founded—the ANC's armed wing—most certainly did kill people.
And Mandela was certainly no friend of white people, no matter how the media tries to spin it.
Yes, the current state of South Africa is shocking.
But I would suggest that the current state of South Africa was inevitable, and would have occurred even if Mandela had never lived.
The knee-jerk condemnation of Mandela as the cause of South Africa's problems, is a typically "right wing" misunderstanding of the story of the political development of South Africa.
I know, because this was the line I was fed as a youngster in Southern Africa, and, sadly, believed for a long time—until I became wiser and realized it was just another lie of apartheid.
Yes, although Mandela personally did not kill anybody, and never set off any bombs, or even shoot a gun in anger—he certainly had the intention to do so and the organization which he founded—the ANC's armed wing—most certainly did kill people.
And Mandela was certainly no friend of white people, no matter how the media tries to spin it.
But I would suggest that the current state of South Africa was inevitable, and would have occurred even if Mandela had never lived.
The knee-jerk condemnation of Mandela as the cause of South Africa's problems, is a typically "right wing" misunderstanding of the story of the political development of South Africa.
I know, because this was the line I was fed as a youngster in Southern Africa, and, sadly, believed for a long time—until I became wiser and realized it was just another lie of apartheid.
|The pointless war: Arthur Kemp. (left front) and his Casspir crew, Unit 19 mobile reaction unit, 1988.
The reality is that the ANC only resorted to "armed struggle" some 50 years after its foundation. During those prior five decades, it had sought to end white minority rule by protests, mass demonstrations, strikes, stay-aways and so on.
The state, however, refused to contemplate black rule, and cracked down on the ANC—using force.
From Mandela's perspective therefore, it can be argued that the resort to "armed struggle" was a reaction to the state's violence against opposition to Apartheid.
And, contrary to the "right wing" version of history, this is in fact completely accurate. The ANC resorted to violence and, yes, terrorism, after its five decades of peaceful attempts to end white rule.
Think about it for a minute: if you had been a black person in pre-1994 South Africa, what would you have done?
The time has come to be completely honest about this: if I had been a black in South Africa in the pre-1994 era, I would have supported the ANC and the armed struggle as well. And so would all of my "right wing" friends in South Africa—had they been black.
The truth is that any objective observer cannot "blame" Africans for wanting to rule themselves, not be ruled by whites and for eventually taking up arms to achieve this goal.
Quite frankly, that is a perfectly normal human reaction, and I would expect it of any healthy people.
No healthy race wants to be ruled by others.
Why would you, except if you were sick?
Why would you, except if you were sick?
Now I know that Mandela was an self-admitted socialist. He described himself as such (see Sampson, Anthony (2011) [1999]. Mandela: The Authorised Biography. London: HarperCollins) and one of the main pieces of evidence during the Rivonia Treason Trial was a hand-written document by him called "How to be a Good Communist."
I know that the ANC committed many gruesome atrocities in its "armed struggle." But I also know, from personal experience of my four years' national service in South Africa from 1985-1988, that the state was prone to violence as well. It was a cycle of violence, each outrage feeding the next in an ever-increasing spiral.
But all of this aside: the true meaning of Mandela is that here was a man, fully committed to the liberation of his people at whatever cost, who held true to this belief and never wavered.
Even though you may personally not like his ideology or what was done in his name (and, given the outrageous black-on-white murders in South Africa which are still occurring), you cannot get away from the fact that from his perspective, he stood by his principles and never faltered, even though the personal cost was massive.
The desire of Africans to rule themselves in their nations, free of white rule, as personified by the life of Mandela, in fact justifies the demand of Europeans to rule themselves in their nations.
Think about it. Instead of condemning Africans for wanting to rule themselves, pro-European activists should accept that it was wrong for Europeans to colonize the Third World—and therefore, that it is equally wrong for the Third World to colonize European lands.
Instead of condemning Africans for doing what any healthy people would do, "right wingers" should give up the old, tired and failed rhetoric, and instead be looking for a "European Nelson Mandela" to help lead them away from the path of extinction on which they are currently headed.
Friday, 22 November 2013
A Letter to the Editor of De Telegraaf, Amsterdam. UPDATED
Letters to the Editor
De Telegraaf
Dear Sir/Madam
The article "Moeder van drie" by Catherine Keyl (De Telegraaf, wo 20 nov 2013) refers.
As the author of the world's only history of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) of South Africa,* I must point out that the above article is completely untrue.
It is also one of the worst examples of poor research and rumour-based gutter journalism that I have ever seen.
The article claims that right wing whites are killing white farmers with the intention of blaming blacks and stirring up racial tension, and that a "mother of three," one Cornelia de Wet, has "confessed" to taking part in these murders.
However, Ms Keyl has failed to do the most basic research—which would be expected of any professional journalist—before publishing this incredible claim.
I wish to point out just some of the basic facts which should have been checked before the article was published:
1. De Wet's allegations were rejected in court by the South African police at an unrelated trial on 4 November 2013—TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ARTICLE BY MS KEYL APPEARED in De Telegraaf.
A police officer rejected claims by a rightwing woman that she played a part in the Steenkamp murders on a farm near Griquatown last year, the Northern Cape High Court heard on Monday.
"There is no truth in these allegations," investigating officer Dick de Waal testified.
—Griquatown murder claim untrue – cop, South African Press Association (SAPA), IOL News, November 4 2013.
2. The police investigating the farm murder upon which the claim centers, rejected De Wet's allegations as completely untrue and without basis on 31 October 2013—THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ARTICLE BY MS KEYL APPEARED in De Telegraaf.
[D]ie polisie "twyfel sterk" oor haar weergawe. Die polisie twyfel oor haar weergawe van gebeure, omdat sy dit glo reeds verskeie kere verander het en nié bepaalde uitwysings kon doen nie.— GW-stad: 'Daar's net 1', Volksblad, 31 Oktober 2013
3. Tobie van den Bergh, editor of the Middelburg Observer in Mpumalanga, who has known Cornelia de Wet since she was 16, has said that she has previously made "amazing confessions" to the press about "right wing activities and farm murders" which have all proven to be completely false.
He gave two examples of such claims:
- Once, De Wet and her mother presented themselves "in bloodied clothes" at his newspaper offices, claiming that they had been tortured by blacks with razor blades. Van Den Bergh said it was obvious that they had cut themselves in an "attempt to draw attention to themselves."
- Another time, De Wet claimed to him that she had been raped by "her bosses in the right wing."
Needless to say, none of these wild allegations were taken seriously by anybody, the police included. Van den Bergh added that De Wet was "in urgent need of psychiatric treatment."
ALL THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ARTICLE BY MS KEYL APPEARED in De Telegraaf.
De Wet, wat op 29 Mei verlede jaar in hegtenis geneem is en weer op 28 November in die hof moet verskyn, het voorheen ook al "opspraakwekkende onthullings" rondom plaasmoorde of regse bedrywighede teenoor die media gedoen.
Tobie van den Bergh, redakteur van die Middelburg Observer in Mpumalanga, sê hy voel baie jammer vir De Wet.
"Sy het dringend sielkundige hulp nodig. Ek ken haar vandat sy 16 jaar oud is. Sy en haar ma het baie kere, in 'n bebloede toestand, in my kantoor gesit. Albei het beweer swart mense het hulle met lemmetjies gemartel.
"Ek is nie 'n kenner nie, maar glo hulle het hulself gesny om aandag te trek en 'n soort belangrikheid te kry. Sy wil graag 'n indruk maak op haar base in die regse bewegings. Sy het ook al beweer haar regse base het haar verkrag."— GW-stad: 'Daar's net 1', Volksblad, 31 Oktober 2013.
4. The man named by De Wet as being the head of the "security firm" which carried out the attacks, has been publicly identified as Jac Sherman.
He has denied even knowing De Wet, and has dismissed the allegations as "nothing but lies."
THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ARTICLE BY MS KEYL APPEARED in De Telegraaf.
Jaco Scherman, accused of being the mastermind behind the alleged "hit squad" responsible for the murders of three members of the Steenkamp family in Griquatown, has denied ever meeting white female farmer and member of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), Cornelia de Wet.
"These allegations are nothing but lies. She has a personal vendetta against me after I refused that she use my company as a front to raise money. She is absolutely crazy. I have never met her and do not know where she lives. I have only spoken to her on the telephone twice," Scherman said.—Security boss denies AWB hit squad claim, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Independent Online, November 1 2013.
As I am sure you will now see, the article by Ms Keyl is completely untrue.
Furthermore, all the facts had been published and were in the public domain THREE WEEKS BEFORE De Telegraaf printed her story.
The situation with farm murders in South Africa is bad enough as it is.
This completely false and gutter journalism of Ms Keyl's only adds to the problem and spreads lies about an already tragic situation.
I do hope that in the interests of your newspaper's credibility that you publish this letter—or at the very least, issue a complete retraction, apology and correction of the article in question.
Yours sincerely
Arthur Kemp
* Victory or Violence: The Story of the AWB of South Africa ISBN 978-1471067464.
UPDATE 25 November. Ms Keyl has advised that she was "misled" by her South African sources and has undertaken to correct the article.....
UPDATE 25 November. Ms Keyl has advised that she was "misled" by her South African sources and has undertaken to correct the article.....
Thursday, 10 October 2013
The Moving Epicenter
There can be no doubt that the epicenter of "Western Civilization"--or, rather, that which can be salvaged from it--is rapidly moving to Eastern Europe / Western Russia. It will be the last stand, where the survival--or not-- of the European people will be finally determined.
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Thursday, 2 May 2013
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text:
|Local business wins 7 national awards
|Written by Tom Lanier
|Friday, 08 June 2007 05:46
A local advertising and public relations firm has won seven national awards
for its work with energy and telecommunications utilities.G & T Communications won six national awards recently for their work with two electric co-operatives in Ohio and one in California. The seventh award wasfor an ad campaign the company developed for Skyline/Skybest. G&TCommunications' president, Maggie Tilley, said it's more important for themto support their clients than to win awards, but said it sure is nice whenit happens. G & T Communications, now in its 11th year, is located indowntown Boone.
|Share This Article:


text:
Karolina Kurkova's Tips For Polished Summer Style
- 1 of 12
Eager to know more about her summer wardrobe secrets, we asked Kurkova to share her tips for assembling the perfect warm-weather look and dish on the five must-haves every girl should have in her closet right now.
- 2 of 12
Skirt The Situation
Get The Look:
Aryn K Short Sleeve Blouse ($62); Astr Pleated Faux Leather Skirt ($64); Deena & Ozzy Mesh Hidden Wedge ($49) in White.
- 3 of 12
Layer Effects
Get The Look:
Nasty Gal Loosen Up Knit ($58) in Ivory; Tommy Hilfiger Denim Fitted Mini Skirt ($50); Helen Yoi High-Tops ($85) in White.
- 4 of 12
Color Code
Get The Look:
T by Alexander Wang Silk Combo Blouse ($135) in Fiji; Joe's Jeans Bright Color Denim Short ($32) in Tile Blue; Cole Haan Village Jeans Belt ($98) in Argento; Sam Edelman Gilda Gladiator Sandal ($90) in Soft Silver.
- 5 of 12
On The Bright Side
Get The Look:
Equipment Signature Button Down Blouse ($208); IRO Jarod Jean ($276).
- 6 of 12
Bag Of Tricks
Get The Look:
Splendid Athens Color Block Jacket ($168); Dooney & Bourke Large Tulip Shopper ($168); Tory Burch Strappy Flat Sandal ($291).
- 7 of 12
- 8 of 12
Tailored Jacket
Express Inset Shawl Lapel Soft Jacket ($128) in Black
If you're going to invest in one jacket this season, Kurkova recommends a tailored blazer. "It's perfect to throw on over a day dress or a tank for a quick evening look," she says.
- 9 of 12
Mini Skirt
Thakoon Addition Red Leather A-Line Skirt ($590) in Red
Mini skirts, especially bright leather iterations, are on heavy rotation for the model come summertime. "As the temperature rises, so can your skirt length. Balance a shorter hemline with a looser fitting top," Kurkova says.
- 10 of 12
Celine Skate Sunglasses ($247) in Black/Dark Grey
What's the one accessory Kurkova never leaves home without? "A great pair of sunnies not only completes a look, but they also provide much needed protection from the harsh summer sun," she says. Kurkova's go-to brands: Celine and Karen Walker.
- 11 of 12
Bright Bag
Joie Louisa Woven Tote ($118) in Purple/Red/Fuchsia
Nine times out of ten, you'll find Kurkova toting an eye-catching satchel or oversized bag around the city. "It's an effortless yet practical way to include a bright color or print in your overall look," Kurkova says.
- 12 of 12
White Pumps
Gianvito Rossi Patent Leather Pumps ($611) in White
Kurkova reaffirms white heels as the shoe of summer, noting "a crisp white hue takes the classic pump to a new level. I especially love my Louboutin Batignolles!"


text:
Carbon County Fairgrounds will accept sealed bids for a side-by-side
ATV. The bids are due at the Carbon County Clerk's Office, 120 East
Main Street, Price, Utah 84501, prior to 5:00PM on February 5, 2013.
Bid opening will be before 5:00PM on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at a
County Commission meeting commencing at 4:30PM in the Carbon County
Courthouse Building, 120 East Main Street, Price, Utah. Please note
on the outside of the envelope in red "SEALED BID FOR FAIRGROUNDS
Carbon County is not responsible for bids that are received late due
to delays in delivery by any source. Faxed and emailed bids are not
accepted. Carbon County reserves the right to reject any and all
bids, to waive any informality of any bid and to select the bid which
in the opinion of the County provides the best product, warranty and
service to the County.
Required Specifications:
Minimum of 1,000 pound rear box capacity
Minimum box size of 52x40x12 inches
Minimum 10 inch ground clearance
Automatic Transmission with Hi/Lo/Reverse/4x4 and Differential Lock
Winch Mount and Winch
72 Inch snow plow blade
12 Volt Electrical System
Hard top roof cover
Standard ROPS requirements meeting ISO-3471, SAE-J1040M or SAE J/ISO
For further information or questions please contact Donn Kienholz,
Carbon County Fairgrounds @ 435-636-3207.
Published in the Sun Advocate January 17, 2013.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|May 5, 2011
|Priority date
|Apr 8, 2003
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Richard L. Sutherland, Stephen A. Siwecki, Vince P. Tondiglia
|Original Assignee
|Sutherland Richard L, Siwecki Stephen A, Tondiglia Vince P
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Referenced by (1), Classifications (15), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/399,517, filed Apr. 7, 2006, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/129,441, filed May 16, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,072,020, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/408,259, filed Apr. 8, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,950,173. Each of the above-identified applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The purpose of this invention is to control and optimize the performance parameters of switchable holograms to tailor the properties to application-specific devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157 provides a description of materials and methods for producing switchable holographic Bragg gratings.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,751,452 and 5,748,272 to Tanaka et al. teach an optical device made from a switchable holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (hereafter "PDLC") grating and methods for fabricating the same. Tanaka et al teach the use of NOA65 (polyene and polythiol mixture), but do not teach how it may be used in conjunction with a multifunctional acrylate to reduce switching voltage and eliminate voltage creep. In their teaching, NOA65 is the sole polymerizable monomer in the described embodiments. These embodiments are also found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,938,568 and 5,096,282 to Margerum et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,012, and European Patent Application Nos. 98300541.1, 98300543.0, and 98300468.0 to Crawford et al. teach reflective displays made with switchable PDLC holograms, but provide little in the way of materials or methods for optimizing performance. Crawford et al. teach the use of an anisotropic polymer index-matched to the liquid crystal to reduce haze at large viewing angles. This is also taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,994,204 and 5,240,636 Doane et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,853 to Taketomi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,575 Ninomiya et al. teach devices made with switchable PDLC holograms, but provide no teaching for optimizing switchable hologram performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,317 to Saburi et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,330,264 and 5,648,857 to Ando et al. teach beam control methods for controlling unwanted gratings (i.e., "ghost holograms") in non-PDLC holograms using particular geometrical arrangements.
Each of the above-identified references is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Demand for information has become a strong driver in many business, consumer, and government applications. Three key components of this demand are the storage, transmission, and display of information. The latter two in particular are placing severe demands on available hardware and software. In communications, there has been an explosion of traffic driven by the Internet, business data, and digital image transfers. In the end-point use of this huge data stream, visual utilization and management of data have high priority. Large data content requires high resolution (SVGA to XGA) along with full-color capability. The technological response to these challenges has spawned several innovations. For telecommunications applications, part of the technological response is to provide higher data rates and bandwidth extension through the use of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). For easy visual access to information, portable and handheld devices are evolving along with flat screens and personal displays. In addition, efforts are underway to make the advantages of DVD and HDTV available in these formats.
Optics is at the core of all of these technologies. The information revolution is placing stringent demands on several optical components. For example, short and long-period fiber Bragg gratings are playing key roles in telecommunications, but the demand for multiple wavelengths and the ability for dynamic reconfiguration by DWDM is growing. In information display applications, the use of portable and micro-displays, combined with virtual display technology, is creating the need for complex off-axis optical systems in very compact, lightweight packages. This becomes impossibly heavy and cumbersome with conventional refractive and reflective optics.
Diffractive optics is the natural response to many of these demands. But these devices are by their very nature monochromatic. Multi-wavelength and dynamic reconfiguration capabilities are forcing a reconsideration of the use and fabrication of diffractive optical elements to satisfy the growing needs of the information revolution.
Switchable holographic optical elements (HOEs) have been invented to fulfill the promise of diffractive optics in meeting the technological challenges in telecommunications and information display. Multi-layered switchable holographic optical elements in a single solid-state device form a substitute for multiple static elements and complex refractive/reflective optical systems. This dramatic innovation has prompted one technology developer to coin the phrase "an optical system in a chip" as an apt description of switchable HOEs.
To be successful, switchable hologram technology must present a flexible approach to optical element design and fabrication, offering high efficiency and optical quality with low power consumption. Moreover, it must be tailored to customer specifications, i.e., it has to be very application-specific. For example, devices in telecommunications applications that require specific wavelength and format considerations include reconfigurable add/drop switches, multiplexers, optical cross connects, optical switches, wavelength selectors and tuners, and spectral attenuators or gain flatteners. Examples of such needs also abound in the information display area, including personal DVD/HDTV viewers, portable displays, data phone/handheld Internet displays, wearable PC displays, digital picture frames, desktop telephone E-mail/Internet displays, ultra-portable projection systems, and desktop monitors.
Polymer-dispersed liquid crystal ("PDLC") holographic materials have now been successfully demonstrated in several components and prototype devices. These components and devices offer a solution to the need for an electronically driven, multi-layer, multi-wavelength, complex optical system in a thin, lightweight, low-electrical-power element. The fabrication of switchable holograms by the photopolymerization-induced phase separation of liquid crystal ("LC") from an initially homogenous pre-polymer mixture has been discussed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157. Prior to forming the hologram thereon, the pre-polymer mixture consists of a multi-functional acrylate monomer (or mixture of multi-functional monomers of differing functionality) combined with a mono-functional aromatic vinyl monomer and a LC, along with other key ingredients, including a photoinitiator dye. Similarly, the holographic recording process has also been described, employing a single-step method wherein coherent laser beams combine to form an interferogram in the plane of the pre-polymer mixture. As the system cures, the LC phase separates to form the hologram, consisting of a pure grating or mixture of gratings. These gratings are comprised of alternating LC-rich and polymer-rich regions.
As these switchable holographic materials and devices near application in the markets discussed above, it is becoming clear that several performance parameters are critical to the success of the devices employing this technology. For example, various applications of the switchable holographic-PDLC (hereafter "HPDLC") optical elements require polarized light, while others require diffraction of unpolarized light. Consequently, there is an advantage to having the capability to control the polarization dependence of the PDLC grating for specific applications.
Further, in many applications with holograms, haze is a problem. In HPDLC optical elements, haze is produced by light scattering from inhomogeneities in the HPDLC film component of the optical element. Some of these inhomogeneities are contaminants that can be controlled by careful processing. Others, however, originate from the phase-separated LC droplets. The diffraction planes themselves will produce some random scattering due to nonuniform distributions of LC droplets from plane to plane. However, a major source of scattering comes from phase-separated droplets that occur outside the desired Bragg planes. Examples of this are cross-gratings and diffraction rings formed by spurious reflections and diffraction of the recording beams. Also, in some cases LC may randomly phase separate in the polymer-rich regions. Scattering is a strong function of droplet size and density. In some cases, a haze as large as 10% has been measured. It is strongly desired to reduce and control the amount of haze in holograms for specific applications.
Further still, in electrically switchable holograms, minimization and control of power dissipation is an important consideration. Power dissipation leads to joule heating, which in some cases can cause problems with thermal stability. Also, large power consumption requires a more expensive electrical power supply and possibly larger voltages, which may lead to electrical shorting that destroys the hologram's usefulness. This depends largely on the switching voltage of the hologram. High switching voltage leads to large current drawn from the power supply. In switchable PDLC gratings, power consumption and dissipation comes from current drawn to charge up the transparent electrodes, as well as from resistive heating in the transparent electrodes and through the hologram, due to a finite conductivity of the PDLC material.
Switching speed requirements of the HPDLC optical elements depends on the intended application. Some applications may require on/off-switching times in the microsecond regime, while some may only require millisecond response. Consequently, it is useful to have the ability to tailor the switching speed to the application in order to optimize other parameters, such as switching voltage.
Some applications for the HPDLC optical elements place the elements in harsh environments that degrade its properties. Typical environmental parameters that prove deleterious to operation include temperature, humidity, and UV exposure, the most severe of these being temperature. LCs nominally have freezing points below 0� C. and nematic-to-isotropic (N-I) transition points at 65-100� C. The high temperature range is usually the most problematic in devices. Any contaminants or diluents in the LC will lower the LC's order parameter and thereby reduce its N-I transition. This in turn can significantly reduce diffraction efficiency. For example, the N-I transition may be reduced by as much as 30-40� C. by such contaminants/diluents. This severely restricts the operating temperature of the hologram. Consequently, the ability to control the environmental vulnerability of the HPDLC optical elements is desirable.
The current invention sets forth materials, mechanisms and procedures for optimizing various performance parameters in order to meet differing performance requirements. These optimization tailoring techniques include control and independent optimization of switchable HPDLC optical devices to meet the demanding requirements of anticipated applications for, inter alia, the telecommunications and display industries. These techniques include optimization of diffraction efficiency, i.e., index modulation, polarization dependence control, haze, cosmetic quality, control of response and relaxation time, voltage driving for on and off switching, and material uniformity. This control and independent optimization tailors properties of switchable HPDLC optical devices according to the specific requirements of the application of the switchable HPDLC optical device. The invention disclosed herein retains the desirable attributes of the multi-functional acrylate system for forming HPDLC optical devices, but adds new materials to the acrylate system and/or new process control to the recording to optimize performance parameters as may be needed for specific applications. This results in high optical quality switchable holograms with good diffraction efficiency and low, stable switching voltage.
A first embodiment of the present invention describes a system for controlling the index modulation of a polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical element. The system comprises a first substrate and a second substrate with a pre-polymer liquid crystal material therebetween; and a first and a second electrode pattern on each of the first and second substrates, wherein at least one of the first and second electrode patterns consists of interdigitated electrodes.
A second embodiment of the present invention describes a method for controlling the index modulation of a switchable polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical component. The method comprises providing a pre-polymer liquid crystal material between a first and second substrate, the first and second substrate having a first and second electrode pattern thereon, respectively, for applying a switching voltage to the switchable polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical component, wherein at least one of the first and second electrode patterns consists of interdigitated electrodes; applying a voltage approximately equal to the switching voltage to every other interdigitated electrode, creating an in-plane electric field within the pre-polymer liquid crystal material; holographically irradiating the pre-polymer liquid crystal material resulting in polymerization of the pre-polymer liquid crystal, wherein liquid crystal droplets formed from the holographic irradiation are formed with symmetry axes oriented in the same direction as the in-plane electric field; and removing the voltage approximately equal to the switching voltage once polymerization is complete.
A third embodiment of the present invention describes an inverse mode switchable grating system. The system comprises a holographically polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material having a switchable grating formed therein; and at least a first and a second electrode for applying a switching field to the switchable grating in order to vary a diffraction efficiency thereof, wherein application of the switching field increases the diffraction efficiency of the switchable grating and removal of the switching field decreases the diffraction efficiency of the switchable grating.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention describes a method for switching a holographic diffraction grating via a switching field between a first diffraction efficiency and a second diffraction efficiency. The method comprises orienting the holographic diffraction grating such that an internal angle of p-polarized light incident thereon satisfies the following condition for a switching field of zero,
wherein θρ is the angle of incidence of a reference wave of the incident light and ∈xx (1) and ∈zz (1) are the x and z components of the modulation of the dielectric tensor for a material comprising the holographic diffraction grating and the holographic diffraction grating has a first diffraction efficiency; and applying a switching field greater than zero in order to switch the holographic diffraction grating to a second diffraction efficiency.
A fifth embodiment of the present invention describes a method for splitting a light beam. The method comprises receiving a light beam at a holographically polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material having an electrically controllable switchable grating formed therein; and controlling the application of an electric field to the switchable grating, wherein when no electric field is applied to the switchable grating the light beam is split into s-polarized light that is reflected from the switchable grating and p-polarized light that is transmitted through the switchable grating and further wherein when a threshold switching electric field is applied to the switchable grating the light beam is split into s-polarized light that is transmitted through the switchable grating and p-polarized light that is reflected from the switchable grating.
A sixth embodiment of the present invention describes a method for controlling the haze in a holographically polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical element. The method comprises forming a loosely gelled network within a pre-polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material and holographically polymerizing the polymer dispersed liquid crystal material, including the loosely gelled network, to form the polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical element with decreased haze.
A seventh embodiment of the present invention describes a method for forming a holographically polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical element with reduced haze. The method comprises adding a pre-polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material to a pre-existing loosely gelled network; placing the pre-existing loosely gelled network containing the pre-polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material between first and second transparent substrates; and interfering a first beam and a second beam within the pre-existing loosely gelled network containing the pre-polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal material to form the holographically polymerized polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical element with reduced haze.
An eighth embodiment of the present invention describes a method for driving a polymer dispersed liquid crystal hologram. The method comprises providing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal hologram between a first and second substrate, the first and second substrate having a first and second electrode pattern thereon, respectively, for applying a switching voltage to the polymer dispersed liquid crystal hologram, wherein the first and second electrode patterns consist of interdigitated electrodes; applying a first voltage scheme, wherein a voltage approximately equal to the switching voltage is applied to the interdigitated electrodes on the first substrate and the interdigitated electrodes on the second substrate are connected to ground in order to drive the polymer dispersed liquid crystal hologram off; and removing the first voltage scheme and applying a second voltage scheme, wherein a voltage approximately equal to the switching voltage is applied to every other interdigitated electrode on the first and second substrates and the intermittent electrodes therebetween are connected to ground in order to drive the polymer dispersed liquid crystal hologram on.
In the Figures:
The preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize the materials and/or process controls as set forth in the second column of Table 1 in order to optimize the corresponding performance parameters of the first column of Table 1.
Performance Parameters
Materials/Process Control
Diffraction efficiency
Nematic director control
(index modulation)
Fringe stability/contrast
Gel network pre-stabilization
Polarization dependence
Nematic director control
Gel network pre-stabilization
Index matching (Fresnel reflections
& scattering)
Cosmetic quality
Gel network pre-stabilization
Index matching (Fresnel reflections
& scattering)
Inverse mode switching
Anisotropic grating parameters
Switching contrast ratio
LC droplet size/shape
(dynamic range)
Response/relaxation time
LC droplet size/shape
Electrode design/voltage drive scheme
In order to provide a context for the implementation of the optimization materials and techniques of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the base features of the HPDLC optical devices are described below. The HPDLC optical devices consist of a homogeneous mixture of ingredients (i.e., "pre-polymer material") that includes the following: a polymerizable monomer (mixture of multi-functional acrylates, including at least a pentaacrylate), liquid crystal ("LC") material (typically a mixture of cyanobiphenyls), a photoinitiator dye (one dye with absorption spectrum overlapping recording laser wavelength), a co-initiator, a reactive diluent (formerly called cross-linking agent), and a surfactant-like additive (formerly called surfactant). Specific examples of the homogeneous mixtures, as well as other formation process and material descriptions supporting the embodiments described herein are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/033,512 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Mar. 2, 1998; Ser. No. 09/033,513 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Mar. 2, 1998; Ser. No. 09/033,514 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Mar. 2, 1998; Ser. No. 09/034,014 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Mar. 2, 1998; Ser. No. 09/429,645 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Oct. 29, 1999; Ser. No. 09/347,624 entitled "Switchable Volume Hologram Materials and Devices," filed Jul. 2, 1999; Ser. No. 09/363,169 entitled "Electrically Switchable Optical Couplers and Reconfigurable Optical Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Materials Including Switchable Optical Couplers and Reconfigurable Optical," filed Jul. 29, 1999; Ser. No. 09/742,397 entitled "Switchable Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Optical Elements," filed Dec. 22, 2000; Ser. No. 09/577,166 entitled "Volume Hologram Replication System and Method for Replicating Volume Holograms," filed May 24, 2000; and Ser. No. 10/303,927 entitled "Tailoring Material Composition for Optimization of Application-Specific Switchable Holograms" filed Nov. 26, 2002; and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/033,512, 09/033,513, 09/033,514, 09/034,014, 09/429,645, 09/347,624, and 09/363,169, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
When the pre-polymer material is irradiated holographically, the photoinitiator absorbs light in the bright fringes and reacts with the co-initiator, creating free radicals. The free radicals then initiate polymerization of the multi-functional acrylates. The free-radical process is very fast, and a three-dimensional polymer network is created in just a few seconds. This rapid development of a densely cross-linked network is critical to the phase separation of small LC droplets in the dark fringes, which is what establishes the hologram. Highly functional acrylates are needed in order to produce this with a minimal exposure time. A short exposure time is important in holography to reduce the effects of unwanted vibrations and other perturbations that tend to wash out the index modulation, and to make the process more amenable to mass production. In addition, the resulting rapid polymerization and phase separation are favorable for the formation of small LC droplets, which reduces random scattering losses (i.e., haze). The surfactant further contributes to reducing LC droplet size, yielding an optically clear hologram.
The three-dimensional network that results from the acrylates contributes to "squeezing" the LC out into a separate phase and to yielding desirable optical properties for the hologram. In fact, the hologram and its switchability would not be possible without these elastic attributes of the polymer. However, these strong elastic forces also make the polymer matrix very stiff. The stiffness contributes to a high switching voltage for the HPDLC optical devices. Moreover, the multi-functionality leads to continual post-polymerization after the hologram recording is completed. This stiffens the matrix further and slowly drives the switching voltage up. This is referred to as voltage creep. In some cases the voltage creep can increase the switching voltage by as much as 100%. The elastic relaxation of the multi-functional acrylate system also produces another phenomenon: shrinkage. This can be seen in reflection holograms where the wavelength of the Bragg reflection peak will blue shift due to shrinkage of the grating period. Although not completely understood, it appears that shrinkage has a major effect in a direction parallel to the grating vector. Hence, in reflection gratings, this reduces the grating period, which can in most cases be compensated by appropriate recording conditions (e.g., compensating recording angles). However, there appears to be a more deleterious effect in transmission holograms where the grating vector is in the plane of the hologram. Shrinkage in the plane of the hologram while recording appears to produce non-uniformity in the hologram. The shrinkage is not uniform, but creates elastic instability in the system, causing it to deform. This can almost be described as a "wrinkling" of the hologram with concomitant non-uniformity in the diffraction efficiency and cosmetic defects in the hologram's appearance.
HPDLC optical devices also exhibit unique polarization dependence. In
However, in PDLC gratings of the type in
A simple model can explain these results, the LC phase separates as uniaxial domains 20 with symmetry axis pointed preferentially along the grating vector 22 as shown in
LC droplets form as nanoscale domains in HPDLC gratings. Detailed studies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have revealed that these domains can be roughly ellipsoidal, but are quite often irregularly shaped. The nematic configuration of LC molecules in micrometer scale droplets has been successfully predicted in computer simulations and observed by optical microscopy. A common arrangement of nematic directors in a spherical droplet is the so-called bipolar configuration, which has an axis of symmetry along a diameter and two point defects at the polls. Computer simulations reveal that a similar pattern is obtained in slightly elongated droplets. The nematic configuration in nanoscale domains is more elusive. However, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of deuterated-LC samples suggests that LC domains may contain a line defect along their long axes. Optically, these droplets appear to possess an axis of symmetry and behave as uniaxial domains.
A model was developed for the behavior of elongated LC droplets subjected to an electric field as described in Wu et al. Liq. Cryst. 5, 1453 (1989) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This model ignored the details of the nematic configuration and assumed that the droplet is characterized by a single vector, which they called the droplet director N. In the absence of an electric field, N coincides with the symmetry axis, which is also the major axis of the elongated droplet. This uniaxial domain has a dielectric anisotropy that is approximately equal to that of the bulk LC. Therefore, in the presence of an electric field N will attempt to reorient along the direction of the applied field. This reorientation is resisted by an elastic torque, which arises due to the elastic distortion produced by the applied field. The elastic torque is related to the local radius of curvature and some average elastic force constant of the droplet. A new equilibrium orientation of N is established by the condition that the elastic restoring torque balances the electrical torque. It is assumed that nanoscale LC droplets can be treated in the same way and this model is also applied to HPDLC gratings.
Assuming the LC droplets are uniaxial domains, they can be characterized by a diagonal dielectric tensor in the reference frame of the droplet. Let ∈⊥ and ∈∥ be the dielectric constants perpendicular and parallel to N, respectively. At optical frequencies, the respective refractive indices are given by n⊥=(∈⊥/∈0)1/2 and n∥=(∈∥/∈0)1/2, where ∈0 is the permittivity of free space. Because the nematic director configuration is not uniform within the droplet, it is expected that n⊥>no and n∥<ne, where no and ne are the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices, respectively, of the bulk LC.
The orientation of the droplet director N relative to a laboratory reference frame xyz is illustrated in
where u=cos θ0, with θ0 the polar angle in the absence of an applied field, E is the electric field strength, and Ec is a critical field for switching. Notice that the azimuth angle φ is unchanged by the field.
In the laboratory reference frame the droplet dielectric tensor ∈d is given by
where R is the rotation matrix that transforms the laboratory coordinate frame into the droplet coordinate frame, given by
and R−1=RT is the inverse (transpose) of R. Explicitly, the droplet dielectric tensor is
where Δ∈=∈∥−∈⊥, θ is given by Eq. (1), and φ=φ0 and θ0 are constants for a given droplet. The droplet directors N for an ensemble of droplets are distributed about some mean orientation direction given by ū and
For any given field strength E, each droplet will independently assume a new equilibrium orientation, described by Eq. (1), that is parameterized by its initial polar angle θ0. The azimuth angle will remain a constant determined by its initial value φ0. Hence the average tensor elements can be found by averaging over the initial orientation angles θ0 and φ0 by factoring the distribution function into two functions, one dependent on θ0 (or u) only and one dependent on φ0 only. Calling these normalized distribution functions p(u) and q(φ0), respectively, the average diagonal tensor elements for the droplet can be written as
It can be seen that these tensor elements depend on E through θ(u,E).
The form of the distribution functions is not known a priori and must be guessed. However, it is generally true that when dealing with a large number of statistically independent objects, the statistics of the ensemble tend to approximately obey a Gaussian distribution. Accordingly, make the assumption that
where ū (
is the error function. Taking this approach, the values of the means and standard deviations can be varied independently to study the effects on diffraction efficiency and switching. They also give an intuitive interpretation of the droplet director distribution that is easy to visualize. For example, three distributions are shown in
For a mixture of two homogeneous, isotropic materials the effective dielectric constant of the medium can be expressed approximately by ∈=∈a+f(∈b−∈a), where ∈a and ∈b are the dielectric constants of the host and dispersed materials, respectively, and f is the volume fraction of the dispersed material. This approximation holds as long as ∈a≈∈b. It is assumed that this relation can be applied to an anisotropic HPDLC medium as long as the dielectric tensors of the two materials are nearly equal component by component. For the HPDLC grating, the volume fraction f has the form of a periodic rectangular wave that is zero in the solid polymer region, and has a value fc in the PDLC region. The width of the PDLC region is αΛ, where α is a fraction (0≦α≦1) and Λ is the grating period. To apply coupled wave theory this distribution is Fourier analyzed, keeping terms up to first order. The spatially periodic dielectric tensor can thus be written as
In these equations, K is the grating vector (|K|=2π/Λ), <∈d> is the average LC droplet dielectric tensor, and ∈p is the polymer dielectric tensor. Assume that the polymer is isotropic so (∈p)ij=∈pδij, where ∈p is a scalar. Since <∈d> is diagonal, ∈(0) and ∈(1) are also diagonal. Hence the laboratory frame also serves as the principal axes frame of the medium. Equation (13) yields the principal refractive indices of the medium, ni=(∈(0) ii/∈0)1/2 (i=x,y,z). In general, the medium is biaxial (nx≠ny≠nz) and electro-optical through the dependence of <∈d> on E. The components of Eq. (14) are the dielectric tensor modulation elements that couple polarized optical waves in the diffraction grating.
The coupled wave theory of Kogelnik et al., Bell Syst. Tech. J. 48, 2909 (1969) was recently extended to anisotropic media G. Montemezzani et al., Phys Rev. E. 55, 1035, (1997). Both of the references are incorporated herein by reference. The interaction of coupled waves in thick reflection and transmission holograms is illustrated in
where �σ (�ρ) is the unit vector of polarization for the signal (reference) wave, and
n=√{square root over (nσnρ)} (16)
with nσ(nρ) the refractive index for the signal (reference) wave. The parameter g is related to the walk-off angle δ between the Poynting vector and wave vector and is given by
g=√{square root over (cos δσ cos δρ)} (17)
For unslanted gratings, nσ=nρ and cos δσ=cos δρ. Notice that for an unslanted reflection grating θσ=π−θρ, so cos θσ≦0. For an unslanted transmission grating θσ=2π−θρ and cos θσ≧0. In unslanted gratings |cos θσ|=cos θρ. The explicit expression of the coupling coefficient for s polarization is
with gs=1, while for p polarization
For weakly birefringent media (nx≈nz), gp≈1.
In the case of reflection gratings, the peak diffraction efficiency ηj (j=s or p) of a reflection grating is
ηj=tan h 2(κj L) (22)
At off-normal incidence (θρ≠0) the coupling coefficient is given by Eq. (18) for s polarization and Eqs. (19)-(21) for p polarization.
Most of the LCs used in this analysis have similar values of no and ne. Hence the variation in diffraction efficiency between different systems is primarily due to the parameters a and fc, which are related to LC solubility for various types of gratings and polymer systems, and to the distribution functions p(u) and q(φ0), which also appear to be dependent on the type of grating and LC. In order to limit the variation of parameters, the index np can be measured for the polymer and generally it is in the range of 1.52-1.54, depending on the amount of LC remaining in solution in the polymer. For s-polarized light, switching the grating to minimum diffraction efficiency implies that n⊥≈np (see the discussion below). Hence the parameter n⊥ can be fixed by this condition. The quantities α and fc can be estimated from SEM studies of HPDLC gratings. This leaves n∥ and droplet statistics, i.e., means ū and
The width of p(u) has a noticeable effect on the sharpness of the switching curve. This is illustrated in
Alternatively, examining the same reflection grating at off-normal incidence, the plot in
The results given above are due to the tensor nature of the grating. For s-polarization, the switching is asymptotic and based on index switching as described above, where for large field values the droplet index is ˜n⊥≈np. However, the case for p-polarization is quite different and cannot be described as an index matching. Referring to Eq. (19), the condition for the coupling coefficient κp to vanish is
and this is achieved at some particular value of E. The form of Eq. (23) is reminiscent of the definition of the Brewster angle for isotropic systems and has an analogous physical interpretation. For light incident from an isotropic medium of index n1 onto an isotropic medium of index n2, the Brewster angle θB is the angle of incidence for which the reflectance of p-polarized light is zero. This can be calculated from electromagnetic theory and is based on the conditions dictated by Maxwell's equations at the boundary between the two media, with tan θB=n2/n1. At the Brewster angle, the rays transmitted to and reflected from the second medium are at a right angle. Brewster's condition has thus been given the following interpretation. For p-polarization, dipoles, i.e., oscillating electrons, are induced in the second medium in the plane of incidence and perpendicular to the transmitted ray. These dipoles radiate and create a reflected ray back into the first medium. However, dipoles do not radiate along a direction parallel to their direction of oscillation. At Brewster's angle, where the reflected and transmitted rays are at a right angle, the induced dipoles point along the direction of the reflected ray. Since they do not radiate any energy in this direction, the reflected ray vanishes. Although there is some controversy regarding this interpretation, it is true that for non-conducting, non-magnetic media, the only work term in the electromagnetic energy theorem that could contribute to the generation of an electric field E is the term proportional to Re(iωE�P*), where P is the dielectric polarization induced in the medium. If E and P are orthogonal, the work term is zero and no energy can be expended to generate the field E, even though the wave associated with E satisfies the boundary conditions. This certainly applies to the situation of Brewster's law in isotropic media.
Applying a similar interpretation to Bragg diffraction in anisotropic media, in Eq. (19), the quantity ∈(1)��ρ is a vector pointing in the direction of the spatially modulated part of the dielectric polarization induced by the reference field Eρ. If this vector is perpendicular to �σ, there can be no work done by the induced polarization to generate the signal wave Eσ, even though the direction of this wave is consistent with the Bragg condition, and the coupling coefficient consequently vanishes. This occurs in unslanted isotropic gratings at an incident angle of π/4 where the induced polarization, in this case parallel to the reference field, is perpendicular to the signal field. For p-polarization the condition �σ�∈(1)��ρ=0 is equivalent to the condition given by Eq. (23), which is induced by the applied field. Hence the applied field induces a dielectric polarization orthogonal to the signal field to produce a zero in the diffraction efficiency, and this is called polarization switching.
Polarization switching of p-polarized light can be put to use in making an inverse mode HPDLC switchable reflection grating. An inverse mode grating is one for which the diffraction efficiency turns on to a high value when a voltage is applied. In normal mode HPDLC gratings a voltage turns the grating off (low diffraction efficiency). An inverse mode grating would be advantageous for certain applications, but is difficult to make using present materials. The concept is to orient the diffraction grating so that the internal incident angle of p-polarized light satisfies Eq. (23) at zero field. Thus the diffraction efficiency would be zero. When a field is applied, ∈zz (1) increases while ∈xx (1) decreases. By Eq. (19), the coupling coefficient increases and the grating turns on. An example of the switching of s-polarized and p-polarized light for such a situation is illustrated in
A grating device as described herein can function as an electro-optical polarizing beam splitter. For example, at zero field incident unpolarized light would be split into s-polarized light, i.e., reflected and p-polarized light, i.e., transmitted. For an applied field >Ec, the opposite effect would be achieved: unpolarized light would be split into s-polarized light that is now transmitted and p-polarized light that is now reflected.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for controlling index modulation through nematic director control, is described. For given LC birefringence and volume fraction, the index modulation can be maximized by maximizing the birefringence of the LC droplets. This is achieved by distorting the droplets and aligning the symmetry axes of each droplet in the same direction, which matches the polarization direction of the incident light. It is possible to do this by applying external stimuli that shape and orient the droplets as they are formed in the phase separation process. Techniques for achieving this using a magnetic field or an externally applied stress are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157 to Sutherland et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This first embodiment describes a method for distorting the droplets and aligning the symmetry axes of each droplet in the same direction using an electric field that is compatible with subsequent electrical switching of the HPDLC optical device. The pre-polymer/LC material is placed between glass plates with transparent electrodes as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157. However, instead of transparent planar electrodes, the electrodes are patterned as illustrated in
Alternatively, by applying different voltages, various degrees of polarization state between the parallel to the film plane to the perpendicular to the film plane may be achieved. The applied voltages are determined by the switching voltage and are approximately equal thereto. For light polarized in the direction of the LC droplet symmetry axes thus formed, the index modulation and hence the diffraction efficiency will be maximized. Light polarized perpendicular to this direction will have minimum diffraction efficiency.
To switch a hologram "off" that is recorded in this manner (i.e., to zero out or minimize the index modulation), the approximate switching voltage (V) 39 is now applied to each finger electrode in the front set of electrodes 30 a, with the back set of electrodes 30 b being connected to ground. This produces the film-normal field pattern 46 illustrated in
In a second embodiment of the present invention, a system is described for controlling index modulation through fringe stability and/or contrast control. Achieving excellent fringe stability and contrast in the interferogram applied to the HPDLC material optimizes index modulation in holography. Fringe contrast is degraded by internal Fresnel reflections in the cell containing the HPDLC material. These reflections also lead to the formation of cross gratings as the main hologram is recorded, which contribute to haze and cosmetic defects and decrease index modulation. The primary source of these reflections is at the interface between the transparent electrode (i.e., indium tin oxide (ITO)) and the pre-polymer LC material. To alleviate this problem, a broad band anti-reflection (AR) coating is incorporated into the transparent electrodes. The term AR coating refers to a substantially transparent multilayer film that is applied to optical systems (e.g., surfaces thereof) to substantially eliminate reflection over a relatively wide portion of the visible spectrum, and thereby increase the transmission of light and reduce surface reflectance. Known anti-reflection coatings include multilayer films comprising alternating high and low refractive index materials (e.g., metal oxides) as described, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,432,225, 3,565,509, 4,022,947, and 5,332,618 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In cases of the present invention where etching of the transparent electrode is not necessary, an AR coating is obtained by a thin film stack of alternating layers of magnesium fluoride and ITO applied to the glass on the side facing the pre-polymer LC material. For cases where etching of the ITO is desired, the preferred AR coating is a thin film stack of tantalum oxide/magnesium fluoride deposited on the glass with an ITO overcoat. In addition, during the recording process, an AR-coated piece of glass is optically connected to the outside faces of the holographic cell using index-matching fluid. These AR coatings are optimized for the wavelength used in recording the hologram. One skilled in the art recognizes the variations in AR coating that may be alternatively used in this embodiment of the present invention.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, haze and cosmetic quality, and diffraction efficiency are controlled through pre-establishment of a loosely gelled network in the PDLC recording medium. As mentioned earlier, the rapid polymerization and elastic relaxation of the multi-functional acrylate system can lead to instability and non-uniformity in the optical quality of the hologram, as illustrated by the example in
As an alternative to the photoinitiator partial bleaching technique above, wherein the photoinitiator matched to the recording wavelength is partially bleached, additional photoinitiators can be added to the pre-polymer material so that pre-establishment of the loosely gelled network can be accomplished using illumination by a wavelength that does not overlap with the absorption spectrum of the photoinitiator matched to the laser recording wavelength. Examples may include using ultraviolet ("UV") initiators to expose the PDLC recording medium for short periods of time with UV illumination, or using visible initiators that do not interfere with hologram recording. A specific example includes adding methylene blue to a sample to be recorded with 488-nm light from an argon-ion laser. This sample is exposed 632.8 nm light from a He—Ne (helium neon) laser prior to holographic recording without bleaching the initiator that is sensitive to the 488-nm radiation.
It is understood that the pre-establishment of a loosely gelled network is not limited by the radiation exposure methods described above. Any technique to gently and partially cure the sample so that a loose gel network is established is contemplated by this disclosure. These techniques are known to those in the art of polymer chemistry and may include heat, electron beams, or the presence of other reactants that can be triggered by some external mechanism. The third embodiment describes the formation of a loosely gelled network prior to hologram recording in order to stabilize the system against non-uniform shrinkage as the hologram forms during a subsequent photopolymer chemical reaction.
Another alternative method commensurate with the scope of the third embodiment comprises loading the pre-polymer PDLC recording medium into a pre-existing loose network, such as an aerogel. An aerogel is a glass or polymer network that consists mostly of air voids that are much larger than a typical grating period or LC droplet in an H-PDLC. The pre-polymer PDLC recording medium fills the voids by capillary action. Such a filled aerogel is then sandwiched between two ITO-coated glass plates and irradiated holographically in the manner described previously. The aerogel does not prevent diffusion of components or subsequent phase separation of LC droplets in the grating planes, but acts analogously to the loosely gelled polymer network of the previous examples to stabilize the system against non-uniform shrinkage.
This technique of pre-establishment of a loosely gelled network in the sample can be applied to transmission and reflection gratings alike. This technique decreases the haze, improving the optical quality of holograms. Further, this technique stabilizes the system to shrinkage normal to the plane of the film, which reduces chirping of the grating period and tapering of the index modulation profile. This enhances the diffraction efficiency of the hologram. An example of improvement of the diffraction efficiency in a reflection hologram using this technique by partial bleaching of the photoinitiator is given in
In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, haze and cosmetic quality are controlled using index matching and scattering control. Significant cosmetic inhomogeneity and haze can be attributed to the presence of cross-gratings that appear as a result of reflections from the internal and external surfaces of the HPDLC optical device during recording of the hologram. These reflections interfere with both the incident beams and other reflections, thus recording unwanted holograms in the HPDLC film. In order to minimize these unwanted reflections, conductive index-matched transparent electrodes as described with reference to the third embodiment are utilized. This greatly reduces unwanted internal reflections. These anti-reflective electrodes reduce reflection from the internal surfaces. Second, a transparent tank recording setup is employed to greatly reduce reflections from the external surfaces.
Unwanted reflections at the glass/air interfaces are rendered harmless by the transparent tank arrangement depicted in
As with a bare cell, the reflection at either first glass/air interface 58 is reflected safely away. In
According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, switching voltage can be controlled via tailoring of LC droplet size and shape. By way of background, switching is best discussed in the context of a simple model. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157, the switching voltage of a switchable hologram is related to the critical electric field (Ec) necessary to reorient the LCs. This critical field is given by the following equation:
Equation (24) predicts the critical field for an elongated LC droplet, with semi-major axis a, semi-minor axis b, and aspect ratio l=a/b. Further to equation (1), σLC and σp are the electrical conductivities of the LC and polymer, respectively;
where γ1 is the rotational viscosity coefficient of the LC. Thus, a reduction in the effective elastic force constant that produces a reduction in the critical field by a factor of M will tend to increase the relaxation time by a factor of M2. If the longer relaxation time is still compatible with the switching time needed for a particular application, then the slower relaxation is not a severe penalty. However, there may be cases where a longer relaxation time is not desired.
The limiting speed of the switchable hologram is given by the relaxation time τoff given by Equation (25) above. Two important geometrical parameters are droplet size a and shape l. Droplet size a also impacts scattering loss; the scattering coefficient increases with size approximately as a3. There is also a trade-off of switching voltage with relaxation time as seen in Equation (24). It is clearly desirable to keep a as small as possible. Since scattering and relaxation time are approximately proportional to a3 and a2, respectively, while switching voltage is proportional to a−1, much is to be gained by minimizing a. Ultimately, though, this will begin to increase switching voltage unfavorably, even when optimizing matrix conductivity, interfacial anchoring, and effective dielectric anisotropy. At some point it is desirable to offset decreases in a with some other parameter.
One such off-set parameter is the droplet shape. Changes in size (Δa/a) can be approximately offset by corresponding changes in shape (Δl/l), as can be seen by reference to Equations (24) and (25). Distorting droplets while they are being formed during phase separation can control droplet shape. It is generally desirable to induce distortion (i.e., elongation) in a direction parallel to the holographic film plane. Techniques for achieving this using external magnetic fields and stress fields have been discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,157. The first embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for controlling LC droplet formation using interdigitated electrodes and in-plane electric fields. In this embodiment, a is minimized to reduce scatter and relaxation time. Alternatively, if it is necessary to then increase a to optimize switching voltage, then l can be increased simultaneously to prevent the relaxation time from increasing. This off-setting procedure allows for LC droplet formation that optimizes HPDLC optical device operation.
According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, switching speed is controllable through electrode design and voltage drive scheme. The limiting speed of the switchable hologram is given by the relaxation time τoff given by Equation (25) above. The response time (i.e., when voltage is applied) is field dependent, however. Under conditions of optimal switching where (2+σLC/σp)/3˜1, the response time when the critical field is applied can be estimated from
However, for large fields E as compared to Ec (E>>Ec) the response time is approximately given by
Therefore, by way of example, assuming γ1=0.27 kg/m-s and Δ∈=15.3∈0, a response time of 10 μs would require a field strength of ˜15 V/μm. This analysis indicates that a fast response time would be achievable if the hologram could be driven both "on" and "off" with a large enough field. Pursuant to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, this can be achieved while maintaining low power consumption.
Referring to
Switchable HPDLC holograms are normally driven at 500-2000 Hz. The period of this waveform (0.5-2 ms) is long compared to the desired response time of the device. Therefore, the hologram can be overdriven in the first cycle of the waveform by a field sufficient to produce a fast response time given by Equation (27), with the rest of the waveform settling to a lower value ˜Ec to maintain the desired state of the hologram. This type of waveform is illustrated in
The embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting. One skilled in the art recognizes the obvious variations and trade-offs that are included within the scope of the embodiments set forth herein.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Feb 21, 2013
|Mar 13, 2014
|Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
|Electric Alignment Device And Alignment Method
|U.S. Classification
|349/86, 349/141
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 7, 2011
Owner name: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, CA
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Owner name: LEIDOS, INC., VIRGINIA
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|Jul 3, 2015
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The communist Chinese dictatorship blasted the U.S. government for endangering its massive dollar holdings, calling for America to rein in its out-of-control debt by slashing military spending and welfare. The regime also demanded international supervision of the dollar and even suggested the creation of a new global reserve currency.
The attack came in the form of an editorial from Xinhua News Agency, one of the dictatorship's official propaganda arms, following the downgrade of American debt last week by Standard & Poor's (S&P). It immediately made headlines around the world.
"China, the largest creditor of the world's sole superpower, has every right now to demand the United States to address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China's dollar assets," read the commentary. "To cure its addiction to debts, the United States has to reestablish the common sense principle that one should live within its means."
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(May 22, 2012) On May 16, 2012, an official from Singapore, Raj Kumar, stated that control of the airspace above the Indonesian Riau Islands could revert to Indonesia. Singapore has controlled that airspace since 1946, and Indonesia has been actively seeking to gain control since 1993. Kumar stated of the possible transfer of authority that "[t]here's no problem, if the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization] agrees to the matter," and added that Singapore would be willing to assist with transferring technology as well, once the ICAO agrees. (Fadli, Singapore Willing to Return Riau Islands Airspace, THE JAKARTA POST (May 18, 2012).)
The Riau Islands are an archipelago located to the south of Singapore. According to a member of the Riau Islands Regional Representatives Council, Zulaikah Nasution, control of the airspace would benefit the region. "We should be able to manage what we own, and enhance human resources. We should have sovereignty over our airspace, as the area's economic potential is also huge," he argued. (Id.)
The Secretary-General of Indonesia's Transportation Ministry, Afianti Samad, noted that Indonesia's Law on Aviation calls for the country to control all of its own airspace by 2024, at the latest. (Law No. 1, 2009, WORLD LAW GUIDE [scroll down to locate translation of Aviation Law & allow time for text to open]; text in Indonesian, LEMBARAN NEGARA REPUBLIK INDONESIA [Gazette of the Republic of Indonesia], Jan. 12, 2009, at 1-110, Global Legal Information Network, ID No. 237769.) He noted that at present, "Indonesia has sovereignty over its airspace, Singapore is just the party which manages it." (Fadli, supra.)
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Moderators: All Things Mods, Other Stuff Mods, Serious Mods, phpBB2 - Administrators
Meatball wrote:Some forums i have been to decide not to do that so it looks like they have allot of members... just a thought.
Zankou wrote:i had been wondering about this..."the freaky post here first" thing was probably what caused them to leave.
I myself have pm-ed a few people and told them where to post first.
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After reading the view of one of the writers of the Different Shades of Gray: An "Unfortunate Lie" (Sun Advocate, July 4) I'm convinced the writer must be a member of the Flat Earth Society. It reeks of authorship of Karl Rove, edited by George W. and proof read by Tom DeLay.
He can compress the most words into the smallest idea in this newspaper. He attacks the efforts of Al Gore to publicize the real disasters predicted of global warming, which is already affecting our lives, costing us money and will continue to do so.
He has concluded that global warming is a myth and Al Gore is a "liar, an unfortunate lie". He has already convinced himself Al Gore will be a presidential candidate when Gore himself has not announced his intentions. If Gore had not had the election stolen from him, we would not have spent 250 billion or more on a war waged in the wrong place, in the wrong time, and for the wrong reason. We would have at least the 236 billion - the surplus Bill Clinton left George W.; and the six million working people who have lost their insurance since George W. took office.
We have escalating inflation in every area - fuel and energy costs, food, and transportation. We have a lack of confidence in government, alienation of formerly friendly nations, over eight trillion (eight thousand billion) dollars of debt, giveaways to big oil, slashed benefits to the poor and more tax cuts to the wealthy. We have escalating drug costs and attempts to destroy the Social Security System. This incompetent administration and its leader have, emphatically stated, there is no such thing as global warming.
Climate has destroyed past civilizations. It is likely that the American midwest is vulnerable to global warming and in some areas of the midwest they are already experiencing a drought with crop failure - likely due to global warming. It is easy to ignore global warming, as we have always had erratic weather.
Every year since 1997 has been in the top 10 of hottest years with 2005 setting a record. There is universal agreement among scientists that global warming is a reality. Melting snow caps, lower river volumes, disappearing snow in the mountains, like in Kilimanjaro, already spell doom for much of that region. The list is endless. Climate has destroyed many past civilizations and they had no way to know that climates could change.
We do have that knowledge. We need to take action on all fronts, and we haven't done it yet.
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$2.99 to $5.49
Tough rubber squeaky balls that come in three sizes to meet the needs of every breed. Read More
Colors may vary.
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I have a 7 lb Yorkie that is absolutley ball CRAZY!! For having a tiny mouth he can be VERY rough on toys. He also only likes the squeek balls. The kong tennis balls the squeeker pops out after just minutes. With this one the squeeker stay in and the ball is VERY durable. HIGHLY recommended it for the ball crazy dogs and destructive chewers. My friend has a 110 lab and he uses the large balls and they stand up to him to. HIGHLY recommended!
I have young 30# dog who has destroyed every toy that has been given to him. Several dogs play with this ball and after 3 months, squeaker and ball are still ok.
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