Applied Nanophotonics, Liquid Crystals and Biomedical Optics

We have developed a new, three-terminal optically addressed spatial light modulator (OASLM) which utilizes a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p-i-n photodiode as the photosensor and a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) as the modulator. A patterned metal layer deposited between the a-Si:H and FLC forms the third terminal. This structure allows for dc operation and has the potential for a variable threshold response to an optical input signal.