The New Focus Amplitude Modulators combine high performance at modulation frequencies up to 250 MHz with simplicity in operation. Contact Newport when ordering Resonant Modulators to specify Resonant Frequency.
The extinction ratio is limited by refractive index distortions in the electro-optic crystals that impart wavefront distortion to the optical beam. For these devices, the on:off extinction ratio is typically 50:1 for a 0.5-mm diameter beam. Higher values can be achieved by focusing your beam.
The crystals in these modulators are mounted at 45° so that your input polarization can be either vertical or horizontal. To minimize thermal birefringence, we use two matched crystals arranged in series. This results in amplitude modulators that exhibit less than 1 mrad/°C of temperature-dependent polarization rotation. In addition, the mechanical aperture make aligning your beam through the modulator simple.
We offer both broadband modulators that can be used at a wide range of frequencies and resonant modulators that operate at a single frequency with much lower drive voltage requirements. The resonant modulators feature a resonant tank circuit to maximize power transfer from driver to crystal, thereby maximizing the voltage across the crystal, lowering required drive voltages. Each resonant phase modulator is built to the your exact specified frequency.
One application of these modulators is high-frequency optical chopping. Although mechanical choppers are frequently used, they modulate the optical intensity at rates of only a few kilohertz. This frequency is often not high enough to get away from the 1/f noise of the detection system. An optical amplitude modulator, such as the Model 410X can be used to chop the beam at 1 MHz, thus giving you shot-noise-limited detection.