High-efficiency Broadband Spatial Light Modulators

The Department of the National Research Council Canada and the Ultrafast Quantum Photonics Laboratory have a requirement for the supply of two (2) high-efficiency broadband spatial light modulators (SLM). These devices must contain an array of liquid crystal cells that locally modulate the optical phase of an impinging light beam. These SLMs will be used to control the spatial shape of light beams with high precision and it is essential that they have a very high efficiency modulation of the beam to limit decoherence in our applications involving single photons and other quantum states of light. These SLMs must simultaneously achieve a combination of high fill-factor, low pixel diffraction loss, high reflectance, high linear modulation characteristics and high diffraction efficiency. Each unit must have a wide wavelength and broadband capability, and easy connectivity to computer (e.g. USB and DVI). The units must come with software that is able to upload arbitrary greyscale images and turn them into the corresponding phase masks at the SLM, and have calibration phase masks to verify functionality of SLM. By meeting the technical requirements listed here, the SLMs will provide a unique and versatile tool in the laboratory, where beam shaping is a common requirement in experiments.