Improvements in Bi(12)SiO(20) thin-film spatial light modulators.

Improvements introduced in Bi(12)SiO(20) thin-film spatial light modulators and consequent increased performance are described. By improving the optical and electrical uniformity of phosphorus-doped Bi(12)SiO(20) substrates and by improving the insulating properties of the insulator, we attained a resolution of higher than 50 line pairs/mm at a 50% modulation transfer function and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. The sensitivity and optical gain, defined as the ratio of output to input power, were also improved. In addition to these improvements, devices with wedge-shaped substrates for coherent readout light were fabricated, and it was shown that their write-in sensitivity and resolution were not affected by the substrate thickness.