High Speed:

Due to their low mass, high tension and short stroke, GLV micro-ribbons can switch in <300ns. This is >10X faster than the DMD tilt mirrors and 1000X faster than liquid crystal spatial light modulators. The GLV’s high switching speed facilitates high line refresh rates: typically between 250-500 kHz.

Analog gray scale:

Many spatial light modulators are binary devices: either fully on or fully off. The GLV is different. It is an inherently analog device, allowing intensity to be continuously varied from dark to bright according to applied voltage. Amplitude resolution is limited only by the bit-depth of the electronic driver.

High power handling:

The robust silicon-nitride comprising the GLV endows it with unparalleled power handling capability. GLVs have been used for years in harsh industrial applications with incident powers of 80W per device at power densities as high as 10kW/cm².

Non-contact, high reliability:

Unlike other MEMS spatial light modulators, the GLV is a non-contact device and requires no lubricants inside the package. This attribute has proven to be a significant reliability advantage for the GLV, especially in high-fluence UV applications.

Phase Modulation:

The GLV differs from tilt mirror modulators because the ribbons move perpendicularly relative to the surface — pure phase modulation. The GLV’s ability to manipulate phase sets it apart from other technologies, allowing it to serve developing applications in holography and advanced display.

Borderless pixels:

GLV images are formed by spatially filtering the angular content of light reflected from the grating. As a result, GLV images contain no dark lines between pixels. The absence of the familiar “screen door” effect results in stunning images that have been likened to “painting with light.”