A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive
index (1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding
inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which
has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (2) which
can be low (i.e. 11.92 and 21.59).
A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads'
inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light
rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in
a low refractive index (31.27) electrophoresis medium
and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.
