Brief Communications

Time characteristics of the scattering of light in a transparent ferroelectric ceramic

A. S. Vasilevskaya, I. M. Grodnenskiĭ, A. S. Sonin


Abstract: An experimental investigation was made of the response time and contrast characteristics of the longitudinal and transverse scattering of light in a transparent ferroelectric lead-lanthanum zirconate-titanate (PLZT) ceramic under switching conditions. These properties were determined as a function of the amplitude and duration of the switching pulses. When the amplitude was increased from 4 to 12 kV/cm, the scattering turn-on time decreased from 1 sec to 100 μsec. The contrast reached its maximum value, equal to 20, when the field was about 7 kV/cm. Depending on the pulse duration, an optical switch using this ceramic could be operated with or without memory.

UDC: 535.361.1

PACS: 81.40.+a

Received: 19.03.1976

 English version: Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics, 1976, 6:10, 1249–1251