SPATIAL MODULATION OF LIGHT USING SURFACE WAVES IN AN INTERFEROMETER

Abstract

An optical phase grating has been generated by introducing surface waves on one face of a Fabry‐Perot interferometer. This device called SWIM (Surface Wave Interference Modulator) produces a diffraction pattern at the Fourier plane in which the light intensity of the first‐order modulated beam is 1% of the zeroth order with an acoustic power of 0.85 mW/mm beam width. First‐order intensities greater than 10% have been realized; however, the process is not linear at this modulation depth.