Electrically controllable diffuser made from randomly poled lithium niobate

摘要

We describe an electrically controllable diffuser made from a randomly depoled lithium niobate wafer. The level of scattering produced by this diffuser can be varied continuously from a negligible amount (equal to or less than ordinary glass) to a level where the coherent component is practically extinguished. A statistical model for describing the diffuser is developed, from which analytical expressions for the coherent and diffuse components of the mean scattered intensity are obtained. Measurements of the mean intensity versus scattering angle and applied voltage that agree well with the theory are also reported. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.