Epitaxial Materials for Spatial Light Modulators

New materials are the most important issue for the improvement of the present spatial light modulators (SLMs) meeting the requirements for future optical information processing. Ferroelectric oxides are intrinsically fast response materials, and suitable for low voltage operation because of their large electro-optic (E-O) coefficients. However, these high figure of merit materials have not been utilized for practical SLM applications because of the difficulties in obtaining high quality materials. Epitaxial vapor phase growth is an alternative approach to fabricating large area single-crystalline films. In this Phase I, NZ Applied Technologies and Prof. R.A. Chipman of the University of Alabama in Huntsville propose to demonstrate the feasibility of using thin films of BaTio3 and PLZT, with the largest E-O coefficients known, for SLM fabrication. The optical quality, single-crystalline films will be epitaxially grown by an innovative plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD). The PE-CVD is suited for SLMs due to its large-area, low temperature, high growth rate, and low cost fabrication capabilities. The basic modulator performance of the proposed materials will be determined by a novel Mueller Matrix Imaging method. In Phase II, the materials will be optimized, and prototype devices will be produced.