METHOD FOR SPATIAL NON-UNIFORM MODULATION OF LIGHT PHASE AND OPTICAL MODULATOR THEREFOR Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC G02F1/13 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: method for spatial non-uniform modulation of light phase is based on electrically controlled variation of the refraction index of a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a single-element electrooptic cell with a single pair if current-conducting coatings when voltage of an alternating-sign electric field is applied from a source simultaneously at low and high frequency. Helical twisting of the director in the volume of the ferroelectric liquid crystal is completely compensated for by adding optically active components with opposite signs of optical activity to the initial non-chiral smectic matrix. In the absence of an electric field, by setting a certain ratio between values of spontaneous polarisation, rotational viscosity, the modulus of elasticity of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, which defines deformation along smectic layers, and the thickness of the electrooptic cell, periodic deformations of the smectic layers which lead to periodic variation of the position of the ferroelectric liquid crystal director along each smectic layer are generated.

EFFECT: absence of distortions in the spectral composition of modulated radiation, absence of light scattering when the electric field is switched off.

5 cl, 5 dwg