METHOD OF MODULATING PHASE OF LIGHT AND OPTICAL MODULATOR TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G02F1/13 

FIELD: physics; optics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to optoelectronics. The method is based on electrically controlled variation of double refraction of a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a single-element electro-optic cell with a single pair of current-conducting coatings. When alternating electric field at low frequency (50 to 500 Hz) and at high frequency (500 to 8000 Hz) is simultaneously applied, three dimensional deformations arise in the liquid crystal layer, which lead to formation of small-scale spatially non-uniform and fast time-varying structures with random distribution of refractive index gradients in the said layer. In the optical modulator composition and thickness of the liquid crystal layer and mode of controlling the electro-optic cell with alternating electrical voltage are chosen from a condition which provides for the modulation speed and modulation depth of the phase of light required for suppressing speckles.

EFFECT: increased spatial resolution and faster modulation.

4 cl, 6 dwg, 1 ex