Optimization for maximum modulation of a double-pass twisted nematic liquid crystal display

Abstract

Spatial light modulators are widely used to perform modulations of different properties of the electromagnetic field. In this work, a simple optimization method for general double-pass setups was developed. It takes into account the involved polarizing elements and displays, and a numerical simulation based on an exhaustive search routine finds the optimal optical axis orientations of the polarizing elements for the desired modulation. By simultaneously considering both impingements, we are able to take full advantage of the modulation capabilities of the chosen spatial light modulators. In particular, different polarization modulations and complex amplitude modulations were studied for twisted nematic liquid crystal displays and passive linear optical elements. Examples of different optimization criteria are shown and compared with experimental results, supporting the feasibility of this approach. This method offers the possibility of independent modulation of two properties of the input light state, outperforming the use of a single screen.