Electro-optic effect

An electro–optic effect is a change in the optical properties of a material in

response to an electric field that varies slowly compared with the frequency of
light. If applied electric field makes change in the refractive index which is
linearly proportional to the electric field then effect known as Pockel’s effect.
Only certain crystalline solids show the Pockels effect, as it requires lack of
inversion symmetry.
If change in the refractive index is proportional to the square of the electric field
then it is known as Kerr effect. All materials display the Kerr effect, with varying
magnitudes, but it is generally much weaker than the Pockels effect.
Materials: Non-centro-symmetric like LiNbO3, Ba(BO2)2; KH2PO4 (KDP)

Applications
Electro-optic modulators
An electro-optic modulator (EOM) is an optical device in which a voltage-
controlled element exhibiting an electro-optic effect is used to modulate a beam
of light. The modulation may be imposed on the phase, frequency, amplitude,
or polarization of the beam.
The electro-optic effect describes two phenomena, the change of absorption and
the change in the refractive index of a material, resulting from the application of
a DC or an electric field with much lower frequency than the optical carrier. This
is caused by forces that distort the position, orientation, or shape of the molecules
constituting the material. Generally, a nonlinear optical material, such as
ferroelectrics like lithium niobate (LiNbO3) or barium titanate (BaTiO3),
polymers, or organic electro-optic materials, with an incident static or low
frequency optical field will see a modulation of its refractive index.
The simplest kind of EOM consists of a crystal, such as lithium niobate, whose
refractive index is a function of the strength of the local electric field. That means
that if lithium niobate is exposed to an electric field, light will travel more slowly
through it. But the phase of the light leaving the crystal is directly proportional to
the length of time it takes that light to pass through it. Therefore, the phase of the
laser light exiting an EOM can be controlled by changing the electric field in the
crystal.

1. Electro-optic deflectors
Electro-optic deflectors utilize prisms of electro-optic crystals. The index of
refraction is changed by the Pockels effect, thus changing the direction of
propagation of the beam inside the prism. Electro-optic deflectors have only a
small number of resolvable spots, but possess a fast response time. There are few
commercial models available at this time. This is because of competing acousto-
optic deflectors, the small number of resolvable spots and the relatively high price
of electro-optic crystals.

2. Electro-optic field sensors

The electro-optic Pockels effect in nonlinear crystals (e.g. KDP, BSO, K*DP) can
be used for electric field sensing via polarisation state modulation techniques. In
this scenario, an unknown electric field results in polarisation rotation of a laser
beam propagating through the electro-optic crystal; through inclusion of
polarisers to modulate the light intensity incident on a photodiode, a time-
resolved electric field measurement can be reconstructed from the obtained
voltage trace.

3. EO as Phase modulator
We know that we can alter the phase of a light beam by applying an external
electric field. Let us now consider a linearly polarized plane wave propagating
along the z-direction in a KDP crystal and let us assume that it is polarized along
the x'-axis. An external electric field is applied along the z-direction (Fig. below),
Since the x'-direction corresponds to a principal axis (whether in the absence or
in the presence of the external field) the linearly polarized light wave will
propagate without any change in state of polarization.
Light beam linearly polarized at 45° to the x-axis (i.e., along the x'-axis) is passed
along the z-direction through a KDP crystal across which an external electric field
is applied along the z-direction. The resulting output beam is phase modulated
through the linear electrooptic effect in the KDP crystal.
Acousto optic effect
The acoustooptic effect is the change in the refractive index of a medium caused
by the mechanical strain produced by an acoustic wave. Since the strain varies
periodically in the acoustic wave, the refractive index of the medium also varies
periodically leading to a refractive index grating. When a light beam is incident
on such a refractive index grating, diffraction takes place and this produces either
multiple order diffraction or only single order diffraction. The former is referred
to as Raman–Nath diffraction and is usually observed at low acoustic frequencies.
The latter is analogous to Bragg diffraction of X-rays in crystals and is referred
to here also as Bragg diffraction; this is usually observed at high acoustic
frequencies.
The interaction between acoustic waves and light waves is used in a number of
applications such as in acoustooptic modulators, deflectors, frequency shifters,
spectrum analysers, Q-switching and mode locking in lasers.

When an acoustic wave propagates in a medium, the periodic strain associated

with the acoustic wave generates a periodic refractive index variation in the
medium. This periodic refractive index grating has the same period as the acoustic
wave and is also propagating at the same velocity as the acoustic wave. Typically
the refractive index variations are about 10-4 around the mean refractive index
value. Even though this is a very small change, the effect of the acoustooptic
interaction can be quite large due to the interaction length between the optical and
acoustic waves being very large compared to the wavelength of the light wave.
This is very similar to electrooptic effect.
If the length of interaction L between the optical and acoustic waves satisfies

L << k/K2 = ꓥ2 n0/2ꙥλ0

Where, K = 2ꙥ/ꓥ and k = 2ꙥn0/ λ0

where ꓥ is the acoustic wavelength, n0 is the refractive index of the medium and
λ0 is the free space optical wavelength) then the incident light wave diffracts
into multiple orders. This is referred to as Raman-Nath diffraction.
On the other hand, if L >>k/K2
then only one diffraction order is produced and that too only when the so-called
Bragg condition is satisfied; the corresponding angle of incidence θ is close to
This is referred to as Bragg diffraction. In the Raman-Nath regime the
acoustically perturbed medium acts as a thin phase grating while in the Bragg
regime, the medium acts as a volume grating much like atomic planes in a crystal.
In both the cases, since the acoustic wave generates a moving refractive index
grating, the frequencies of the diffracted waves are different from those of the
incident wave.

Production of Acoustic waves:

Acoustic waves could be produed via Piezo-electric effect.
Piezoelectric effect is when compressing a piezoelectric material produces
electricity. It occurs when there is a conversion of kinetic or mechanical energy
due to crystal deformation, into electrical energy. Piezoelectric materials are
materials that can produce electricity due to mechanical stress. When a
piezoelectric material is placed under mechanical stress, there is a shift of the
positive and negative charge centers in the material, which then results in an
external electric field. Going the other direction, with an inverse piezoelectric
effect, an external electric field causes a physical deformation in a piezoelectric
material.
A crystal is any solid with atoms or molecules that are arranged in a very orderly
way based on repetitions of the same basic atomic building block (the unit cell).
In most crystals (such as in metals), the unit cell is symmetrical; in piezoelectric
crystals, it isn't. Normally, piezoelectric crystals are electrically neutral. The atom
arrangement may not be symmetrical, but the electrical charges are perfectly
balanced: a positive charge in one place cancels out a negative charge nearby.
However, stretching or squeezing a piezoelectric crystal deforms the structure,
pushing some of the atoms closer together or further apart. This upsets the balance
of positive and negative, and causes net electrical charges to appear. This effect
continues through the whole crystal structure so net positive and negative charges
appear on opposite, outer faces of the crystal.

1. Normally, the charges in a piezoelectric crystal are exactly balanced, even

if they're not symmetrically arranged. The forces (electric dipole moments)
of the charges exactly cancel out, leaving no net charge on the crystal faces.
2. When the crystal is stretched or compressed, this pushes the charges out of
balance.
3. Now the dipole moments no longer cancel one another out and net positive
and negative charges appear on opposite crystal faces. By subjecting the
piezoelectric crystal to physical stress, a voltage is produced across its
opposite faces.