MODULATION OF THE LINEAR-OPTIC EFFECT AT MICROWAVE FREQUENCIES.

Abstract

A series of novel experiments on modulators made of several crystals stacked along the light path was performed, taking advantage of the fact that the two axes perpendicular to the optic axis in KDP are not completely equivalent. By rotating one of a pair of such crystals 90 degrees about its axis the modulation could be enhanced or degraded, depending on the relative orientation of the fast and slow axes in the two crystals. These original experiments on inhomogeneous light modulators led to the design of a new type of travelling-wavelike light modulator. The properties of this device have been analyzed, and its feasibility has been demonstrated with a prototype configuration of three crystals. The theoretical discussion is based on a review of classical crystal optics and the conventional theory of the electro-optic effect, and includes both a simple approximate solution and a more rigorous iterative solution to Maxwell's equations for non-linear dielectrics. Finally, an explicit survey of the general problem of microwave modulation has been made, with consideration having been given to both physical mechanisms and their experimental realization. The implications and conclusions of the present experimental study have been presented in this context.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0600461

Entities

People

  • Robert A. Meyers

Organizations

  • Harvard University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Dielectrics
  • Equations
  • Frequency
  • Microwave Frequency
  • Microwaves
  • Modulation
  • Modulators
  • Optical Modulators
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Prototypes

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Theoretical Analysis.