Abstract

Remanent light flow is a very serious problem in electro-optic devices. It will not only degrade the contrast ratio but also shorten the lifetime of the devices. In fact, understanding and solving the remanent light flow problem in an electro-optic device may also help in the understanding and solving of several other problems, such as fatiguing and aging problems in other devices. Efforts have been made to examine the mechanism of the remanent light flow problem in ceramic bulk (such as PLZT) and thin film (such as PLZT, BaTiO₃, LiTiO₃, and SBN) displays and spatial light modulators and to find effective methods of reducing and eliminating remanent light flow by using a buffer and capping layer on the surface of the devices. Several very effective buffer and capping layers have been tested; they can not only reduce or eliminate the remanent light flow but also enhance the electrooptic effect by 10% to 30%. The physical origin of the remanent light flow, the method of eliminating it, the physical model of the electro-optic enhancement effect, and the experimental results will be presented.

© 1992 Optical Society of America