An electro-optical cell, comprising an insulating case, having two windows arranged opposite to each other; a crystal in said insulating case; two insulating countercheeks, supported on the extreme faces of said crystal, by means of metallic electrodes, said countercheeks covering said windows in said insulating case, said electrodes and countercheeks having openings to allow the passage of light traversing the crystal;, and further characterized in that a sleeve, consisting of an insulating substance, is arranged around a lateral surface of said crystal and is in contact with said lateral surface and the interior surface of said case opposite said lateral surface, so as to insulate electrically said electrodes from each other is disclosed.
An electrooptic light modulator is constructed from a pair of subassemblies each comprising a lithium tantalate crystal fixed between two rigid, conductive electrodes. Such subassemblies may be individually tested to ensure the selection of a pair of crystals which are matching in thermal and electrical responses. The modulator construction is completed by arranging the selected subassembly pair with crystal optic axes in orthogonal relationship in order to negate the effects of natural crystal birefringence, and fixing the subassemblies between a pair of rigid pole pieces which, together with the electrodes, serve as heat sinks to moderate the effect of thermal fluctuations, and further stabilize the assembly against mechanical and piezoelectric perturbations.
The invention relates to a pockels cell comprising two spaced-apart cubical RTP crystals that have a square cross section, are located one behind another, and are oriented towards each other so as to provide thermal compensation in the direction of radiation. Each of said RTP crystals is provided with electrodes on two opposite faces, said faces of one crystal being rotated by 90.degree. relative to the faces of the other crystal and relative to the direction of radiation (5). Flexible, electrically insulating, high voltage-proof plastic mats which conduct heat well and rest against the inside of a cooling member are provided around the exterior faces of the electrodes.
The switching device comprises a switching member with a row of windows, each of which is formed by a separate block of electro-optical material (19) which is connected to a first surface (18) of a rigid carrier (17) by means of an intermediate layer of flexible material (21). Each block comprises two oppositely situated, parallel, light-transmissive principal surfaces (23, 25) and two side surfaces (27, 29) which are also oppositely situated and which extend from one principal surface to the other. On the side surfaces there are provided two electrodes (31, 33) which are connected to two conductors (35, 37) which are constructed as surface wiring. The electrodes and/or the connection between the carrier and the conductors are preferably also formed to be flexible. This construction offers the advantage that the various blocks cannot mechanically or electrically interact with one another.
