Experimental investigation of optical beam deflection based on PLZT electro-optic ceramic

Based on the optical characteristics of PLZT electro-optic ceramic, two kinds of electro-optic deflectors, triangular electrode structure and optical phased array technology, are studied in detail by using transverse electro-optic effect. Theoretically, the electro-optic deflection characteristics and mechanisms of the deflectors are analyzed. Experimentally, the optical characteristics of ceramic wafer, such as the phase modulation, the hysteresis and the electro-induced loss characteristics, are measured firstly, and then the beam deflection experiments are designed to verify the theoretical results. Moreover, the effect of temperature on the performance of triangular electrode deflector is investigated. The characteristics of both deflectors are also compared and illuminated. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.