PROGRAMMABLE OPTICAL SPATIAL FILTERS USING ARRAYS OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT VALVES

THE PROPOSED WORK AIMS TO DEVELOP PROGRAMMABLE OPTICAL SPATIAL FILTERS USING NOVEL SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATORS (SLM) MADE FROM LINEAR ARRAYS OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL (FLC) LIGHT VALVES. THE FLC TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS SIMPLE, ECONOMICAL FABRICATION OF SLMS WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS THAT CAN EASILY BE ADDRESSED EITHER ELECTRONICALLY OR OPTICALLY. THE ELEMENTS EFFICIENTLY SWITCH INCIDENT LIGHT WITH SUBMICROSECOND RESPONSE TIMES. PHASE I OF THE PROPOSED EFFORT SEEKS TO SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THESE SLMS AS PROGRAMMABLE SPATIAL MASKS BY DEMONSTRATING HIGH CONTRAST 106 (60 DB INTENSITY) AND 20MS WRITE TIME IN A 128 ELEMENT ELECTRICALLY ADDRESSED ONE-DIMENSIONAL SLM. DURING PHASE II, HIGHER SPEED SLMS WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF ELEMENTS WILL BE DEVELOPED; THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE FLC SLM AS AN (POTENTIALLY OPTICALLY ADDRESSED) INPUT DEVICE WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME.