Finite element method for 3D optical modeling of liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator

Accurate optical modeling for design and optimization of liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulators (LCoS SLMs) is important for phase-related applications. Traditional matrix method cannot accurately predict the optical performance when the LC distribution is complex, therefore the rigorous finite element method (FEM) is preferred. However, the optical modeling of LCoS is a multidimensional problem, which is difficult to simulate with FEM. Here, we present the development of an improved FEM by combining the scattering matrix method with the domain decomposition method to reduce the computational burden for optical simulation of LCoS. Furthermore, a 2D simulation example with phase grating displayed on LCoS is presented and compared with experiment.