Spatial light modulator using poly (vinylidenefluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) terpolyrner with a high electrostrictive strain

Abstract

A tunable polymer spatial light modulator using a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) terpolymer with a high electrostrictive strain was demonstrated. A thin polymer film was sandwiched between a flexible layer of metal and a rigid substrate with a metal comb-shaped electrode. For a 14-mu m-thick polymer (with electrode/gap/electrode = 5 mu m/15 mu m/5 pm), a first order diffraction efficiency of 24% was observed under an electric field of 100 V/mu m. The simple fabrication makes polymer deformable mirrors promising for optical devices.