A SPATIAL LIGHT-MODULATOR USING BSO CRYSTALS

The combined use of the photoelectric and electro-optic properties of the Bi//1//2SiO//2//0 (BSO)-crystal leads to a new possibility of realizing a spatial light modulator. Under certain geometrical conditions, which are discussed, it is possible to realize, that the BSO-crystal becomes birefringent depending on the local illuminance; the physical connection between the distributions of birefringence and illuminance is shown. The BSO-crystal combined with a polarizer setup works as a spatial light modulator or as an incoherent to coherent converter.