Fundamental Constraints on SLMs Supporting N x N Fan-in/Fan-out

Abstract

The recent trend to use small SLMs (spatial light modulators) together with low f/numbers has stretched the capabilities of most SLMs1. For common SLMs, such as those based on ferroelectric liquid-crystals or the electro-optic effect, possess a small field of view, usually no more than a 5° half-angle. Low f/numbers such as those approaching 1, with half-angles up to 45° greatly exceed the capabilities of such SLMs.