Grating-Type Optical Deflector Using (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 Ceramics

Abstract

Various types of deflectors have been proposed to date. Optical deflectors utilizing the electrooptic effect have a simple construction, while the deflection angle is small. However, a deflector with high-speed response as well as random access capability will be required in forthcoming applications. From this point of view, the electrooptic deflector should be reconsidered once again. Therefore, it is required that new materials having larger electrooptic coefficients than the materials we have ever had are discovered and new devices having larger deflection angles than the devices we have ever had are developed. Under these circumstances, we have proposed various types of deflectors: one consists of a (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 (PLZT) rectangular solid and twin triangular electrodes on its top and bottom surfaces, another consists of a PLZT rectangular solid and three triangular electrodes connected in series on its top and bottom surfaces, and so forth. However, this type of deflector has a defect that the deflection angle is small, and thus the operating voltage is high. To obtain large deflection angle and to realize low-voltage operation, we propose a new type of deflector which consists of a PLZT rectangular solid plate and grating-shaped electrodes on its top and bottom surfaces. Its deflection properties are investigated theoretically and experimentally.