Optically Controlled Smart Spatial Light Modulator

Advanced, smart pixel spatial light modulators (SLMs) should be able to simultaneously accept multiple two-dimensional inputs (e.g. images or control signals), and be able to produce multi-state or fully analog two-dimensional optical outputs. Furthermore, the wavefront quality of the optical outputs must meet the standards required by coherent light optical systems. Displaytech has extensive experience with the design and construction of SLMs which combine ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) electro-optic technology with silicon VLSI integrated circuit backplanes. We have also produced prototype SLMs incorporating a lenslet array for improved optical efficiency and angular multiplexing of inputs. This combination of technologies offers the highest level of functionality and design flexibility currently available. We have already built SLMs similar to the one described in the solicitation. The principal difference is that previous prototypes could produce only binary modulation. Nevertheless, Displaytech has demonstrated techniques for obtaining analog modulation from FLCs. We propose to implement one of these techniques in an FLC- VLSI SLM with integrated lenslet array in which each pixel contains at least four photodetectors, signal processing circuitry, and a multi-state analog modulator.