Makoto YAMAUCHI and Tomoaki EIJU

Optical Engineering Division, Applied Physics and Information Science Department, Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305 Japan

(Accepted November 30, 1994)

Spatial light modulators whose phase modulation capability (PMC) exceeds 2Ež are strongly desirable. A double-pass configuration was evaluated to enhance PMC of twisted nematic liquid crystal panels. Theoretical analysis using Jones calculus is given, and it is proved that phase modulation is exactly doubled when the panel is sandwiched by two polarizers. Experiments to measure the PMC were carried out and results coincide well with the theory.

Key words : spatial light modulator, phase modulation, twisted nematic liquid crystal panel, double-pass configuration, Jones calculus, analyzer