Thermally controllable optical devices and system

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A system for the thermal control of optical devices includes an optical device having at least one coating of an electrically conductive material formed on a surface in a heat conducting relationship with the material and connected to a controllable current source which passes varying amounts of electrical current through the layer to vary the amount of thermal energy introduced into the device to control its optical response characteristics. The electrically conductive layer or layer can be optically active that is, function to affect the light energy transmitted into or through the device as well as acting as an electrically conductive thermal element. The use of an electrically …