Higher speed, wider angle linear electro-optic deflection via domain engineered KTN crystals

Abstract

Pulsed-biased higher speed (> 10 MHz @ 30 V, 100 ns pulse width) and DC-biased wider angle (105 mrads @ 410 V/mm) linear electro-optic (EO) deflection is reported in a thermally-controlled domain engineered (DE) ferroelectric (FE) potassium tantalate niobate [KTa1−xNb x O3, KTN] crystal. DE-FE KTN crystals can not only provide a higher transmittance and larger linear EO coefficient, but also enable higher speed (10X) and wider angle (2X) deflection than that of its paraelectric equivalent. The physical mechanism behind the optimization of injected space charge on high deflection angles at high speeds is also addressed. This significantly improves its use in megahertz EO applications.