| A set of electro-optic Lead-Lanthanum-Zirconate-Titanate (PLZT) modulators was studied by Mueller matrix polarimetry to determine a range of operating, material, and device properties. The results show how different devices may perform in the applications for which they were designed. One class of measurements included taking polarization images to determine the spatial distribution of the phase retardance and the inducing electric fields. The other class of measurements involved taking the polarization spectrum of a device to evaluate the performance as a function of both illumination wavelength and applied voltage. For the latter measurements, a visible to near-infrared Mueller matrix spectropolarimeter was designed and built. The results presented in this research demonstrate how making a complete polarization characterization, measuring the Mueller matrix, provides an accurate prediction of how a device will perform under arbitrary conditions. |
