Spatial Light Modulator Structures for Adaptive Optics

Abstract

Spatial light modulators have substantially improved in the past few years. Currently, commercial 256 by 256 pixel liquid crystal binary SLMs are available with an operating speed of a millisecond and a pixel spacing of 20 microns for a price of $15,000. Additional improvements in speed by orders of magnitude should be available in the next few years, and micro-mechanical flexure and deformable membrane devices will probably become available.