Electro-optical spatial modulator and optical device

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device, comprising: electro-optic medium, first electrode, second electrode and high voltage driver;First electrode is set to the first surface of electro-optic medium, second electrode is set to the second surface of electro-optic medium, and first surface and second surface are oppositely arranged;High voltage driving signal generated by high voltage driver is applied on first electrode and second electrode;Wherein, first electrode includes multiple strip electrodes parallelly arranged along the set direction, and sequentially acts on each strip electrode within preset period to form the voltage along the set direction changes.This utility model changes with time in a predetermined time point with high voltage driving signal is converted to space, so that electro-optic spatial modulator can realize the modulation of the predetermined time point's pulse light beam space along the set direction's phase or / and polarization state, and then expand the application range of electro-optic modulation;And the utility model structure is simple, and practicality is strong.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of laser technology, and in particular to an electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device. Background Technology

[0002] An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is an optical device based on the electro-optic effect. It modulates the parameters (such as intensity, phase, and polarization state) of an incident light signal by applying an external electric field to alter the optical properties of the material. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a typical electro-optic modulator includes an electro-optic material 10, an upper electrode 11, and a lower electrode 12. The upper electrode 11 and the lower electrode 12 cover the upper and lower surfaces of the electro-optic material 10, respectively, and are connected to the two ends of a high-voltage drive signal HV. The input beam is incident from one side of the electro-optic material 10 and, after being modulated by the electric field, is output from the opposite side. Figure 3 As shown, in one application, an analyzer is provided on the output side of the electro-optic modulator; in this case, the input beam A1 is set as linearly polarized light with constant power, such as... Figure 4 As shown; the high-voltage drive signal HV is a time-varying voltage signal, such as... Figure 5 As shown; the polarization direction of the modulated optical signal also exhibits the same time-varying characteristics as the high-voltage drive signal HV; such as Figure 6 As shown, the adjusted optical signal, after passing through the analyzer, outputs an output beam B1 that corresponds to the time-varying characteristics of the high-voltage drive signal HV.

[0003] Therefore, this electro-optic modulator can only achieve modulation in the time domain; at any given moment, the intensity distribution across the output beam cross-section remains unchanged. It cannot achieve spatial modulation of the input beam. Thus, realizing spatial modulation through an electro-optic modulator and expanding its application range has become a pressing issue for those skilled in the art.

[0004] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this utility model and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this utility model. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device to solve the problem that the existing electro-optic modulator cannot achieve spatial modulation of the input beam, thus limiting its application scenarios.

[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model provides an electro-optic spatial modulator, which includes at least:

[0007] Electro-optic dielectric, first electrode, second electrode, and high-voltage driver;

[0008] The first electrode is disposed on the first surface of the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode is disposed on the second surface of the electro-optic medium, with the first surface and the second surface being disposed opposite to each other; the high-voltage driver generates a time-varying high-voltage drive signal, one end of which is applied to the first electrode and the other end of which is applied to the second electrode;

[0009] The first electrode includes multiple strip electrodes arranged in parallel along a set direction. The high-voltage driving signal is applied to each strip electrode sequentially within a preset time period to form a voltage that varies along the set direction. The change of the high-voltage driving signal at each time point corresponds to the change of the electric field in the electro-optic medium between the two electrodes along the set direction, thereby realizing the change and modulation of the phase and / or polarization state of the input beam in space along the set direction. The propagation direction of the input beam is perpendicular to the set direction.

[0010] Optionally, a delay element is provided between each strip electrode, and the delay element electrically connects each strip electrode in sequence so that the high voltage drive signal has a preset delay on each strip electrode in sequence.

[0011] Alternatively, the delay element may be an LC delay unit or a coaxial cable.

[0012] Optionally, the strip electrodes are connected end to end in sequence through electrical connection parts to form a meandering electrode structure.

[0013] Optionally, the preset time period (i.e., the sum of the delays of each strip electrode) is greater than or equal to 100 ns.

[0014] Optionally, the strip electrodes in the first electrode are divided into at least two groups, each group including at least two strip electrodes, and each group of strip electrodes has a corresponding high-voltage driver that provides a high-voltage drive signal.

[0015] Alternatively, the total length of each strip electrode in the first electrode is not less than 10m, and / or the number of strip electrodes is not less than 50.

[0016] Optionally, a first dielectric layer is further disposed between the first electrode and the electro-optic medium, wherein the dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer is greater than the dielectric constant of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode; and / or, the permeability of the first dielectric layer is greater than the permeability of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode.

[0017] Alternatively, a second dielectric layer is further disposed on the outer surface of the first electrode, wherein the dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer is greater than the dielectric constant of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode; and / or, the magnetic permeability of the second dielectric layer is greater than the magnetic permeability of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode.

[0018] Alternatively, the material of the first dielectric layer and / or the second dielectric layer may be lead zirconate titanate, lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate, barium titanate, or strontium titanate.

[0019] Alternatively, the electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator changes linearly along a corresponding set direction to achieve the deflector function.

[0020] Alternatively, the electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator may bulge or dip along a corresponding set direction, causing the phase of the light beam to bulge or dip accordingly in the corresponding set direction, thereby achieving the lens function.

[0021] Alternatively, the electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator undergoes periodic sawtooth-shaped changes along a corresponding set direction, causing the phase of the beam to change accordingly in the set direction, thereby achieving the beam splitting function.

[0022] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model also provides an optical device, which includes at least: a laser, a first electro-optic spatial modulator and a first analyzer, wherein the first electro-optic spatial modulator is the aforementioned electro-optic spatial modulator;

[0023] The laser provides a linearly polarized input beam;

[0024] The first electro-optic spatial modulator spatially modulates the light intensity of the input beam along a first predetermined direction;

[0025] The first analyzer is located on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator.

[0026] Optionally, the laser provides a pulsed beam.

[0027] Optionally, the optical device further includes a second electro-optic spatial modulator and a second analyzer; the second electro-optic spatial modulator is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator and is used to spatially modulate the light intensity of the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator along a second predetermined direction; the second analyzer is disposed on the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator.

[0028] Wherein, the second set direction is perpendicular to the first set direction, and the second set direction is perpendicular to the propagation direction of the input beam; the second electro-optic spatial modulator adopts the above-mentioned electro-optic spatial modulator.

[0029] Optionally, the optical device further includes a beam section rotator, a second electro-optic spatial modulator, and a second analyzer; the beam section rotator is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator and is used to rotate the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator by 90° along the optical axis; the second electro-optic spatial modulator is disposed on the output side of the beam section rotator and is used to spatially modulate the light intensity of the output beam of the beam section rotator along the first predetermined direction; the second analyzer is disposed on the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator.

[0030] The second electro-optic spatial modulator uses the aforementioned electro-optic spatial modulator.

[0031] As described above, the electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device of this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0032] The electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device of this invention convert the change of high voltage driving signal with time into space at a predetermined time point, so that the electro-optic spatial modulator can realize the modulation of the phase and / or polarization state of the pulse beam in the space along the set direction at the predetermined time point, thereby expanding the application range of electro-optic modulation.

[0033] The electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device of this invention have a simple structure and are highly practical. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of an electro-optic modulator that can be modulated in the time domain.

[0035] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a top view of an electro-optic modulator that can be modulated in the time domain.

[0036] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an application of an electro-optic modulator that can be modulated in the time domain.

[0037] Figure 4 Displayed as Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the power of the input beam in the application.

[0038] Figure 5 Displayed as Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the voltage value and time of the high-voltage drive signal in the application.

[0039] Figure 6 Displayed as Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the power of the output beam of an electro-optic modulator in an application and time.

[0040] Figure 7 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional schematic of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this invention.

[0041] Figure 8 The diagram shows the waveforms of the high-voltage drive signal and electric field of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this invention during the time period from tn to tn+ΔT, and the diagram showing the distribution of the high-voltage drive signal and electric field along a specified direction (perpendicular to the strip electrode) within the distance from x0 to x0+W.

[0042] Figure 9 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model.

[0044] Figure 11 Displayed as Figure 10 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first electrode.

[0045] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model.

[0046] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model.

[0047] Figure 14 The diagram shown illustrates the working principle of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this invention, which realizes an electro-optic deflector.

[0048] Figure 15 The diagram shown illustrates the working principle of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this invention to realize the electro-optic convex lens.

[0049] Figure 16 The diagram shown illustrates the working principle of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this invention, which enables an electro-optic beam splitter.

[0050] Figure 17 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the optical device of this utility model.

[0051] Figure 18 The diagram shown illustrates the working principle of the optical device of this invention for achieving electro-optic spatial modulation.

[0052] Figure 19 The diagram shown is another structural schematic of the optical device of this utility model.

[0053] Component designation explanation

[0054] 10 Electro-optical Materials

[0055] 11 Upper electrode

[0056] 12 Lower Electrode

[0057] 2 Electro-optic spatial modulator

[0058] 20 Electro-optic dielectric

[0059] 21 First Electrode

[0060] 211 Strip Electrode

[0061] 212 Delay element

[0062] 213 Electrical connection part

[0063] 22 Second electrode

[0064] 231 First Dielectric Layer

[0065] 232 Second Dielectric Layer

[0066] 24 High-voltage driver

[0067] 3. Laser

[0068] 4a First polarizer

[0069] 4b Second polarizer

[0070] 5 Acquisition Units

[0071] 5a Beam Spectroscope

[0072] 5b Imaging Device

[0073] 5c camera

[0074] 6 processors Detailed Implementation

[0075] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model.

[0076] Please see Figures 7 to 19 It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this utility model. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to this utility model and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0077] like Figure 7As shown, this utility model provides an electro-optic spatial modulator 2, which includes:

[0078] Electro-optic dielectric 20, first electrode 21, second electrode 22 and high voltage driver 24.

[0079] like Figure 7 As shown, the first electrode 21 is disposed on the first surface of the electro-optic medium 20, and the second electrode 22 is disposed on the second surface of the electro-optic medium 20, with the first and second surfaces facing each other. A high-voltage driver 24 generates a time-varying high-voltage drive signal HV, one end of which is applied to the first electrode 21 and the other end to the second electrode 22. The first electrode 21 includes multiple strip electrodes 211 arranged parallel to each other along a predetermined direction. The high-voltage drive signal HV is applied sequentially to each strip electrode 211 within a preset time period ΔT to form a voltage that varies along the predetermined direction. The change in the high-voltage drive signal HV at each time point corresponds to the change in the position of the electric field within the electro-optic medium 20 between the two electrodes along the predetermined direction (i.e., the change in the high-voltage drive signal HV over time corresponds to the change in the electric field in space along the predetermined direction), thereby achieving modulation of the phase and / or polarization state of the input beam in space along the predetermined direction; the propagation direction of the input beam is perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

[0080] It should be noted that in this utility model, "the first electrode 21 is disposed on the first surface of the electro-optic medium 20" means that the first electrode is directly attached to the first surface (the first electrode is in direct contact with the first surface), or that there is another dielectric layer between the first electrode 21 and the first surface (the first electrode is not in direct contact with the first surface); the relative relationship between the second electrode and the second surface is similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0081] Specifically, the high-voltage driver 24 is used to generate positive or negative high voltage; when the high-voltage driver 24 generates positive high voltage, the positive high-voltage terminal of the high-voltage driver 24 is connected to the first electrode 21, and the reference ground terminal is connected to the second electrode 22; when the high-voltage driver 24 generates negative high voltage, the negative high-voltage terminal of the high-voltage driver 24 is connected to the first electrode 21, and the reference ground terminal is connected to the second electrode 22. As an example, such as Figure 7As shown, each strip electrode 211 in the first electrode 21 uses the same high-voltage driver; taking the transmission of the high-voltage drive signal from left to right as an example, a high-voltage drive signal HV enters from the leftmost strip electrode 211 of the first electrode 21 and is transmitted from left to right through each strip electrode 211 to the rightmost strip electrode. As another example, in order to reduce the voltage drop of the high-voltage drive signal and improve flexibility, the strip electrodes 211 in the first electrode 21 are divided into at least two groups, each group including at least two strip electrodes 211, and each group of strip electrodes has a corresponding high-voltage driver that provides a high-voltage drive signal HV. Taking the high-voltage drive signal being transmitted from left to right as an example, the high-voltage drive signal HV provided by each high-voltage driver has a certain delay. The high-voltage drive signal HV corresponding to the previous group of strip electrodes is transmitted from the leftmost strip electrode of the corresponding group to the rightmost strip electrode of the group. Then, the high-voltage drive signal corresponding to the next group of strip electrodes begins to be transmitted from the leftmost strip electrode of the corresponding group to the rightmost strip electrode of the group, and so on. The final effect is the same as the scheme using a single high-voltage driver.

[0082] Specifically, the electro-optic medium 20 is an optically transparent medium that can change the optical properties of the material (including but not limited to refractive index, transmittance, or birefringence) under the influence of an electrical signal. Materials include, but are not limited to, barium borate crystal (BBO, mainly existing in two crystal forms: β-BBO and α-BBO), rubidium titanium oxyphosphate (RTP), potassium titanium oxyphosphate (KTP), potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), lithium niobate (LiNbO3), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLTZ), and strontium barium niobate (SBN), which will not be elaborated further here. The first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are conductors used to generate an electric field and can be implemented using any conductive material, including but not limited to metals and alloys. As an example, the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are implemented using a gold-plated structure, but this is not limited to this embodiment.

[0083] Specifically, for ease of understanding, a three-dimensional coordinate system is established in this utility model, with the arrangement direction of the strip electrode 211 as the X-axis (i.e., the width direction and the set direction of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2), the thickness direction of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 as the Y-axis, and the propagation direction of the input beam as the Z-axis; that is to say, the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 is laid in the XOZ plane.

[0084] Specifically, assuming the high-voltage driving signal HV is a time-varying voltage V(t), input from the leftmost strip electrode 211 and transmitted sequentially to the right, the change in the high-voltage driving signal HV is transferred to each strip electrode 211 over time. Ultimately, the change in the electric field formed by the high-voltage driving signal HV in the set direction, V(x), corresponds to the change in the high-voltage driving signal HV, thus converting the temporal change into a spatial change. The electric field on the rightmost side (farthest from the input side) corresponds to the earliest high-voltage driving signal HV, and the electric field on the leftmost side (input side) corresponds to the latest high-voltage driving signal HV. At a certain time point, the temporal change of the high-voltage driving signal corresponds to the change in the electric field along the set direction within the electro-optic medium between the two electrodes. Thus, at a predetermined time point, the electric field distributed along the set direction between the two electrodes generates a change in the phase and / or polarization state of the input beam along the set direction within the electro-optic medium. If a polarizing mirror is placed behind the electro-optic medium, spatial modulation of the beam intensity along the set direction can be achieved. The predetermined time point is the time point when the laser pulse arrives at the electro-optic medium. like Figure 8 As shown, the high-voltage drive signal HV changes during the time interval from tn to tn+ΔT. Correspondingly, the electric field changes along the width of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2, where x0 corresponds to the right edge of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2, x0+W corresponds to the left edge of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2, and W is the width of the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 along a set direction (x-axis direction). At a predetermined time point, V(x0) = V(tn) and V(x0+W) = V(tn+ΔT). As an example, the high-voltage drive signal HV consists of multiple pulse signals, the pulse width of which is much smaller than ΔT (the pulse signal width of the high-voltage drive signal HV differs from ΔT by at least one order of magnitude).

[0085] Specifically, the preset time period ΔT is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, the material of the electrodes, the cross-section and number of each strip electrode, the distance between each strip electrode, and the bandwidth of the high-voltage driver. It can be set according to actual needs by combining various factors. As an example, the preset time period ΔT is not less than 100 ns.

[0086] As an example, such as Figure 9As shown, delay elements 212 are respectively arranged between each strip electrode 211. Each delay element 212 electrically connects each strip electrode 211 sequentially, so that the high-voltage drive signal HV has a preset delay on each strip electrode 211 sequentially. Assuming that the number of strip electrodes 211 is N, the number of delay elements 212 is N-1, with one delay element 212 arranged between every two strip electrodes 211. In this example, each delay element 212 is located in the middle region of each strip electrode 211 and electrically connected to two adjacent strip electrodes 211; in actual use, the delay element 212 can be arranged at any position between two adjacent strip electrodes 211, and the position of each delay element 212 is set independently. As an example, the delay element 212 is set as an LC delay unit or a coaxial cable, which will not be described in detail here.

[0087] As another example, such as Figure 10 As shown, the strip electrodes 211 are connected end-to-end via electrical connectors 213, forming a meandering electrode structure. That is, the strip electrodes 211 are connected in series via electrical connectors 213, with one end of the series structure serving as the application point for the high-voltage drive signal HV. At this time, the high-voltage drive signal HV passes through each strip electrode 211 along its length, and a preset delay is obtained by the propagation time of the high-voltage drive signal HV on a single strip electrode 211. In this example, the material of the electrical connectors 213 is the same as that of the strip electrodes 211. Since the length of the electrical connectors 213 is much shorter than the length of the strip electrodes 211, the delay time provided by the electrical connectors 213 is negligible. In practical applications, the electrical connectors 213 can be configured to provide a considerable delay time; in this case, the preset delay is jointly determined by the strip electrodes 211 and the electrical connectors 213. In this embodiment, the total length of each strip electrode 211 is not less than 10m. The preset delay (or preset time period) can be set by adjusting the length l of the strip electrode 211, which is not limited to this embodiment.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number N of the strip electrodes 211 is not less than 50. The electric field accuracy can be set by adjusting the number N of the strip electrodes 211, and is not limited to this embodiment.

[0089] Specifically, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the length of the strip electrode 211 is l, the period of each strip electrode 211 is d, and the width of the strip electrode 211 is w. Then, the effective propagation speed of the electric field generated by the high-voltage drive signal HV along the set direction satisfies:

[0090]

[0091] Among them, V e For effective propagation speed, Vl The speed at which the electric field generated by the high-voltage drive signal HV propagates along the connected strip electrodes. The total length of the first electrode 21 satisfies:

[0092] L = N × l + (N - 1) × (d + w);

[0093] Where L is the total length of the first electrode 21, and N is the number of strip electrodes 211. The effective propagation speed V can be set according to actual needs. e The total length L of the first electrode 21. The total time for the high-voltage drive signal HV to be transmitted from one end of the first electrode 21 to the other end to establish the electric field satisfies:

[0094]

[0095] like Figure 12 As shown, in another implementation of this utility model, a first dielectric layer 231 is further disposed between the first electrode 21 and the electro-optic medium 20. The dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer 231 is greater than that of the electro-optic medium 20 and the first electrode 21, and / or the permeability of the first dielectric layer 231 is greater than that of the electro-optic medium 20 and the first electrode 21. The first dielectric layer 231 effectively increases the dielectric loss of the first electrode 21 (depending on the dielectric constant and permeability), thereby reducing the propagation speed of the high-voltage driving signal HV in the first electrode 21. In this case, V(x) = V(t) - Vc(x0 - Wx), where Vc is a constant related to conductor loss and dielectric loss. The material of the first dielectric layer 231 includes, but is not limited to, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lead lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLTZ), barium titanate, or strontium titanate, which will not be described in detail here.

[0096] Furthermore, such as Figure 13 As shown, in another implementation of this utility model, a second dielectric layer 232 is further provided on the outer surface of the first electrode 21. In this case, the first electrode 21 is wrapped by the first dielectric layer 231 and the second dielectric layer 232. The dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer 232 is greater than that of the electro-optic medium 20 and the first electrode 21, and / or the permeability of the second dielectric layer 232 is greater than that of the electro-optic medium 20 and the first electrode 21. The second dielectric layer 232 and the first dielectric layer 231 have the same function and can be made of the same material, or different materials that can achieve the same purpose can be used, which will not be described in detail here.

[0097] The following are some exemplary application scenarios of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model. In actual use, the application range of the electro-optic spatial modulator of this utility model is wider, which will not be elaborated here.

[0098] As a first example, such as Figure 14 As shown, the magnitude of the electric field formed by the high-voltage drive signal HV in the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 varies linearly along a first preset direction. It can be set to increase linearly or decrease linearly, without changing the direction. Figure 14 Limited to this point; at this time, the optical device can realize the function of an electro-optic deflector.

[0099] As a second example, such as Figure 15 As shown, the electric field magnitude formed by the high-voltage drive signal HV in the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 exhibits a convex change along the first set direction, causing a corresponding convex change in the phase of the light beam along the first set direction. In this case, the optical device can realize the function of an electro-optic convex lens. Of course, the electric field magnitude can also be made to exhibit a concave change along the first set direction, in which case the optical device can realize the function of an electro-optic concave lens, which will not be elaborated here.

[0100] As a third example, such as Figure 16 As shown, the electric field magnitude formed by the high-voltage driving signal HV in the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 varies periodically in a sawtooth shape along the first set direction, causing the phase of the beam to vary accordingly in the first set direction, thus realizing the function of an electro-optic beam splitter.

[0101] This invention transforms the temporal variation of the high-voltage drive signal into a spatial representation, thereby further expanding the application scenarios of electro-optic modulators; such as Figure 17 As shown, this utility model provides an optical device, which includes: a laser 3, a first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a, and a first analyzer 4a. The first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a is the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 of this utility model. The laser 3 provides a linearly polarized input beam A2; the input beam A2 is a pulsed beam or a continuous laser, and its repetition frequency is less than or equal to... That is, the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a spatially modulates the intensity (phase and / or polarization state) of the input beam A2 along a first predetermined direction. The first analyzer 4a is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a. For example... Figure 18 As shown, the input beam A2 is a linearly polarized light with constant power. The electric field formed by the high-voltage driving signal HV in the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a has a preset change in the first set direction (set as needed), so that the polarization direction changes with the position in the first set direction. The power of the output light C after passing through the first analyzer 4a is modulated in the first set direction of the beam cross section.

[0102] like Figure 19As shown, in another implementation of this invention, the optical device further includes a second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b and a second analyzer 4b. The second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a and is used to spatially modulate the light intensity of the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a along a second predetermined direction. The second predetermined direction is perpendicular to the first predetermined direction and also perpendicular to the propagation direction of the input beam. The second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b also employs the electro-optic spatial modulator 2 of this invention. The second analyzer 4b is disposed on the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b. The electric field formed by the high-voltage driving signal HV in the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b has a preset change in the second predetermined direction, causing the polarization direction to change with the position in the second predetermined direction. The power of the output light after passing through the second analyzer 4b is modulated in the second predetermined direction of the beam cross-section.

[0103] Specifically, as an example, the first set direction is configured as the X-axis direction, and the second set direction is configured as the Y-axis direction. That is, in the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a, the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are respectively disposed on two surfaces of the electro-optic medium 20 that are opposite each other in the Y-axis direction, while in the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b, the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22 are respectively disposed on two surfaces of the electro-optic medium 20 that are opposite each other in the X-axis direction, to achieve two-dimensional spatial modulation of the beam cross-section. The second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b can also be configured with a corresponding electric field as needed, including but not limited to... Figures 15 to 18 The various methods shown will not be described in detail here; the electric fields of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a and the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b can be configured to have the same variation characteristics or to have different variation characteristics.

[0104] Furthermore, an acquisition unit 5 and a processor 6 can be provided on the output side of the second analyzer 4b. The acquisition unit 5 includes a beam splitter 5a, an imaging device 5b, and a camera 5c. The beam splitter 5a separates a small portion (e.g., 5% energy or less) of the output light from the second analyzer 4b to acquire the light intensity distribution, while the majority (e.g., 95%) of the output is used for subsequent processing or manipulation. The imaging device 5b images the light intensity distribution of the separated beam within the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b onto the camera 5c (which can be a CCD camera) to obtain the light intensity distribution. In this example, the acquisition unit 5 is used in a time-division manner to acquire the light intensity distribution of the beam before and after modulation. The processor 6 generates control signals for the high-voltage drivers of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a and the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b based on the light intensity distribution of the beam before and after modulation, so as to generate high-voltage drive signals of corresponding power and / or frequency, thereby obtaining the desired output beam. Of course, the acquisition unit 5 can also be set on the input side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a and the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b respectively. In this case, the light intensity distribution of the beam before and after the beam can be obtained without time division multiplexing.

[0105] In addition, any node of the optical device can be equipped with an imaging module (not shown in the figure) to image the spot with the best modulation characteristics in the output beam of the previous stage onto the subsequent stage components, so that the modulation characteristics can be better propagated.

[0106] As another implementation of this utility model, in Figure 19 Based on this, a beam section rotator is used to rotate the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator 2a by 90° along the optical axis. At this time, the second electro-optic spatial modulator 2b is set on the output side of the beam section rotator, and spatially modulates the light intensity of the output beam of the beam section rotator along the first set direction, thereby achieving [the desired effect]. Figure 19 The same modulation effects will not be described in detail here.

[0107] In summary, this invention provides an electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device, comprising: an electro-optic medium, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a high-voltage driver; the first electrode is disposed on a first surface of the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode is disposed on a second surface of the electro-optic medium, with the first and second surfaces facing each other; the high-voltage driver generates a time-varying high-voltage driving signal, one end of which is applied to the first electrode and the other end to the second electrode; wherein, the first electrode comprises multiple strip electrodes arranged parallel to each other along a predetermined direction, and the high-voltage driving signal is sequentially applied to each strip electrode within a preset time period to form a voltage varying along the predetermined direction, the change of the high-voltage driving signal at each time point corresponding to the change in the position of the electric field within the electro-optic medium between the two electrodes along the predetermined direction, thereby achieving spatial modulation of the phase and / or polarization state of the input beam along the predetermined direction; the propagation direction of the input beam is perpendicular to the predetermined direction. This invention's electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device converts the time-varying high-voltage driving signal into spatial modulation, enabling the electro-optic modulator to achieve spatial modulation, thereby expanding the application range of electro-optic modulation. The electro-optic spatial modulator and optical device of this invention have a simple structure and strong practicality. Therefore, this invention effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the prior art and has high industrial application value.

[0108] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An electro-optic spatial modulator, characterized in that, The electro-optic spatial modulator includes at least: Electro-optic dielectric, first electrode, second electrode, and high-voltage driver; The first electrode is disposed on the first surface of the electro-optic medium, and the second electrode is disposed on the second surface of the electro-optic medium, with the first surface and the second surface being disposed opposite to each other; the high-voltage driver generates a time-varying high-voltage drive signal, one end of which is applied to the first electrode and the other end of which is applied to the second electrode; The first electrode includes multiple strip electrodes arranged in parallel along a set direction. The high-voltage driving signal is applied to each strip electrode sequentially within a preset time period to form a voltage that varies along the set direction. The change of the high-voltage driving signal at each time point corresponds to the change of the electric field in the electro-optic medium between the two electrodes along the set direction, thereby achieving modulation of the phase and / or polarization state of the input beam in space along the set direction. The propagation direction of the input beam is perpendicular to the set direction.

2. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each strip electrode is provided with a delay element, which sequentially connects each strip electrode so that the high-voltage drive signal has a preset delay on each strip electrode.

3. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The delay element is an LC delay unit or a coaxial cable.

4. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each strip electrode is connected end to end in sequence through an electrical connection part, forming a meandering electrode structure.

5. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset time period is greater than or equal to 100 ns.

6. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The strip electrodes in the first electrode are divided into at least two groups, each group including at least two strip electrodes, and each group of strip electrodes has a corresponding high-voltage driver that provides a high-voltage drive signal.

7. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that: The total length of all strip electrodes in the first electrode is not less than 10m, and / or the number of strip electrodes is not less than 50.

8. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first dielectric layer is further disposed between the first electrode and the electro-optic medium, wherein the dielectric constant of the first dielectric layer is greater than the dielectric constant of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode; and / or, the permeability of the first dielectric layer is greater than the permeability of the electro-optic medium and the first electrode.

9. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 8, characterized in that: A second dielectric layer is also disposed on the outer surface of the first electrode, and the dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer is greater than that of the electro-optic dielectric and the first electrode; And / or, the permeability of the second dielectric layer is greater than the permeability of the electro-optic dielectric and the first electrode.

10. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first dielectric layer and / or the second dielectric layer are made of lead zirconate titanate, lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate, barium titanate, or strontium titanate.

11. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to any one of claims 1-6 and 8-10, characterized in that: The electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator changes linearly along a corresponding set direction to achieve the deflector function.

12. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to any one of claims 1-6 and 8-10, characterized in that: The electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator varies in convexity or concavity along a corresponding set direction, causing the phase of the light beam to vary accordingly in the corresponding set direction, thereby achieving the lens function.

13. The electro-optic spatial modulator according to any one of claims 1-6 and 8-10, characterized in that: The electric field within the electro-optic spatial modulator exhibits a periodic sawtooth-shaped change along a corresponding set direction, causing the phase of the beam to change accordingly in the set direction, thereby achieving the beam splitting function.

14. An optical device, characterized in that, The optical device includes at least: a laser, a first electro-optic spatial modulator and a first analyzer, wherein the first electro-optic spatial modulator is an electro-optic spatial modulator as described in any one of claims 1-13. The laser provides a linearly polarized input beam; The first electro-optic spatial modulator spatially modulates the light intensity of the input beam along a first set direction. The first analyzer is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator.

15. The optical device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The laser provides a pulsed beam.

16. The optical device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The optical device further includes a second electro-optic spatial modulator and a second analyzer; the second electro-optic spatial modulator is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator and is used to spatially modulate the light intensity of the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator along a second predetermined direction; the second analyzer is disposed on the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator. Wherein, the second set direction is perpendicular to the first set direction, and the second set direction is perpendicular to the propagation direction of the input beam; the second electro-optic spatial modulator is an electro-optic spatial modulator as described in any one of claims 1-13.

17. The optical device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The optical device further includes a beam section rotator, a second electro-optic spatial modulator, and a second analyzer; the beam section rotator is disposed on the output side of the first electro-optic spatial modulator and is used to rotate the output beam of the first electro-optic spatial modulator by 90° along the optical axis; the second electro-optic spatial modulator is disposed on the output side of the beam section rotator and is used to spatially modulate the light intensity of the output beam of the beam section rotator along the first predetermined direction; the second analyzer is disposed on the output side of the second electro-optic spatial modulator. The second electro-optic spatial modulator is an electro-optic spatial modulator as described in any one of claims 1-13.

Images