Phase flicker in liquid crystal on silicon devices

Abstract

This paper reviews the phase flicker associated with the phase-only liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) technology. The phase response of the LCOS device often fluctuates with the driving waveforms. Such phase flicker can cause detrimental effect in applications operating on either holographic or non-holographic principles. The origin of the phase flicker and its impact on the performances of various LCOS-based optical systems are explained. Methods to characterise the temporal response of the LCOS device will also be presented. The efforts to reduce the phase flicker in LCOS devices were reviewed. Perspectives on the future directions are also given.