Development of Zinc Oxide Spatial Light Modulator for High-Yield Speckle Modulation

In order to realize high-yield speckle modulation, we developed a novel spatial light modulator using zinc oxide single crystal doped with nitrogen ions. The distribution of dopants was optimized to induce characteristic optical functions by applying an annealing method developed by us. The device is driven by a current in the in-plane direction, which induces magnetic fields. These fields strongly interact with the doped material, and the spatial distribution of the refractive index is correspondingly modulated via external control. Using this device, we experimentally demonstrated speckle modulation, and we discuss the quantitative superiority of our approach. key words: nanophotonics, spatial light modulator, laser speckle, speckle modulation, oxide semiconductor