title: Direct calibration of a spatial light modulator by lateral shearing interferometry.
abstract: A new interferometric technique is described to measure the complex modulation curve of a spatial light modulator. Based on a lateral shear imaging interferometer, it enables the amplitude and phase modulation for several modulation levels to be displayed simultaneously in a single interferogram. As an example of the power of this technique a heuristic optimization of input and output elliptical polarization states for a mostly-phase operation mode was obtained within a few minutes for a commercial twisted-nematic liquid crystal display.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. flavio@fisica.uminho.pt
authors.forename: Flávio P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Belsley