Principal Investigator Harry Tuller
The electro-optic effect is the change in the refractive index as a function of an externally applied electric field. In anisotropic materials, the index of refraction depends on the direction of propagation and the direction of polarization of the light (optical birefingence). This means that the two components of light polarization can propagate at a different speed inside the material. This in turn causes a rotation of the overall polarization direction. Applying an electric field will change the index of refraction by a different amount for the two polarizations, causing further rotation of the polarization vector. By placing the electro-optic material between two polarizers one can control the amount of light passing through by changing the voltage.