<title>Benchtop characteristics of PLZT-based electro-optic switches</title>

Abstract

We report developments in lanthanum doped PbZrO3:PbTiO₃ solid solution (PLZT) based electrooptic switches for a new class of spatio-temporal modulated lasers. The contents includes a user's adapted approach to the electrooptic properties of PLZT, propagating and scattering of the electromagnetic radiation, and the impact of electrodes, its design, and deposition, housing on thermally conducting substrates, and antireflection coatings. Performance specification is presented as a compromise between the thickness of PLZT plate minimized by scattering considerations, and the shape and distance of electrodes sufficient for the driving voltage and diffraction restrictions. Another set of specifications comprises the energy dissipation growing at shortening the pulses of driving voltage and at increasing the switching frequency as well as electromechanical effects exhibiting itself in a difference between the static and pulsed voltage retardation and coupled optoacoustic oscillations. A balance between these factors is provided by thin (300-700μm) PLZT plates and by driving fields not exceeding 10⁶V/m with embedded electrodes spaced at about 500 μm⁵.