Investigation of the possibility of constructing of a matrix-addressable controlled transparency based on PLZT ceramics

An investigation was made of the edge electro-optic effect in transparent lead-lanthanum zirconate-titanate (PLZT) ceramics with La/Zr/Ti molar ratios 8/65/35. The aim of this investigation was the construction of a matrix-addressable controlled transparency with 32×32 elements. The results obtained made it possible to select the width of the electrode strips and the optimal control voltages needed to ensure the maximum optical contrast. An effective erasure method was developed for a ceramic transparency with a memory: it involved the use of an additional high-resistivity film deposited across the electrode strips. The conditions for selection of the optimal resistance of such films were determined. The average optical contrast was 10.5 when allowance was made for the cross-interference and accumulation effects; this value was obtained using write pulses of 10 μsec duration.