Fully Complex Optical Modulation with an Analogue Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator

Full complex modulation in the Fourier plane is demonstrated using a 128 x 128 analogue ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The device can modulate along both the positive and negative real axes. Two pixels were used together as a macro pixel, one representing the real component and the other the imaginary component, phase shifted by pi/2 using a phase detour technique. Using this method, a fully complex Fourier spectrum was displayed on the SLM and an asymmetric reconstruction into the first diffraction order was produced. (