Speckle photography using optically

addressed multiple quantum well spatial light

modulators
W. S. Rabinovich, M. Bashkansky, S. R. Bowman
Code 5642
US Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC 20375
Rabinovi@ccsalpha2.nrl.navy.mil

R. Mahon
Jaycor
1410 Spring Hill Road, McLean, VA 22102

P. R. Battle
Dept. of Physics
US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21401

Abstract: We demonstrate speckle photography using an optically addressed

multiple quantum well spatial light modulator. An optical Fourier transform
is used to allow real-time displacement measurements.
(c) 1998 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (110.6150) Speckle imaging; (230.5590) Quantum well devices; (230.6120)
Spatial light modulators

References and links

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1. Introduction
Speckle photography is a well known and widely used non-destructive evaluation
tool. [1] Because it is a remote, non contact, whole field technique it has found particular use
in metrology. Applications of speckle photography include surface deformation analysis,
under mechanical or thermal loading conditions, and determination of in-plane translation and
rotation. [2-5] Speckle photography has also been used for three dimensional particle
velocimetry measurements.
Laser speckle photography uses coherent light to illuminate the surface of interest.
A lens collects the reflected light which is then recorded by a suitable medium, e.g.
photographic film or a CCD array. Because the surface is rough, the reflected light will
necessarily contain speckle. The size of the speckle is determined by the F number of the
imaging system. An applied strain, or in-plane displacement of the surface, causes a shift in
the speckle pattern which is proportional to the direction of the local deformation. The whole
surface displacement field is determined from a Fourier analysis of a double exposure speckle
image.
Early implementation of speckle photography used photographic film to record the
doubleÐexposure of the surface speckle. Point wise determination of the displacement field
was made by scanning a laser beam through the negative of the double speckle pattern. The
direction and magnitude of the local displacement is determined from the orientation and
spacing of the Young's fringes that result from the optical Fourier transform. A substantial
increase in speed has been realized by replacing the photographic film with a CCD camera.
However, this approach requires a digital Fourier transform, making real time analysis
difficult.
To circumvent this problem, optically addressed spatial light modulators can be used
to record the speckle pattern. The pattern can then be read out with a coherent beam and
optically Fourier transformed. Peterson, et. al. demonstrated speckle photography using the
bulk photorefractive material BSO. [6] While this approach may be faster than digital
processing it still requires relatively high laser powers and is limited to speeds of less than 1
KHz due to the insensitivity of these materials to light. Kobayashi et. al. used speckle
photography for particle velocimetry using two optically addressed ferroelectric liquid crystal
(FLC) modulators and a position sensitive photodetector. [7] This approach allowed them to
measure particle velocities of up to 500 mm/sec. Cunningham et. al. used FLC SLMs to
measure particle displacement [8].
In this paper we discuss the use of an optically addressed multiple quantum well
spatial light modulator for speckle photography. Compared to other optically addressed SLM
materials, multiple quantum wells offer several advantages. They are about ten thousand
times more sensitive to light than bulk photorefractives. Unlike FLC material they exhibit a
gray scale response and have a maximum speed of about 1 MHz rather than about 10 KHz.
2. Experiment
The multiple quantum well optically addressed spatial light modulator (MQW
OASLM) used in the experiment was a reflective p-i-n device described in detail elsewhere.
[9] MQW OASLMÕs are essentially artificial photorefractive materials. [10-13] A voltage is
applied across the device which changes its absorption through the quantum confined Stark
effect. Upon exposure to a write beam this voltage is locally screened by photocarriers. The
screening pattern is maintained by trapping layers at both ends of the structure.

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 MQW OASLMÕs integrate the light that falls upon them. As the absorbed fluence
increases, the transmission of the device changes. When the absorbed fluence reaches the
materialÕs saturation value, the change in transmission is maximized. The MQW OASLM
used in our experiments exhibited a saturation fluence of 0.2 mJ/cm2.
The resolution of these materials is limited by charge diffusion and is typically about
10 mm. The device size used in the current experiments is 8 x 8 mm, resulting in about 800 x
800 resolution elements.
Due to Fabry-Perot interference effects, the contrast ratio (defined as the ratio of the
maximum to minimum reflection coefficients of the OASLM) is a function of incident angle
and wavelength. In our experiment the maximum contrast ratio was about 10:1. This figure
does not directly translate into dynamic range however. The transmission of the OASLM is a
continuous function of the writing fluence; hence the dynamic range will depend upon
internal noise, surface scatter and non-uniformities in the optical response.
Fig. 1 shows the experimental set-up. Two laser diodes were used, one for writing
the pattern on the MQW OASLM and the other for reading it out. The write-beam diode laser
operated at a wavelength of 847 nm and illuminated a transmissive diffuser. The diffuser was
imaged on to the surface of the MQW OASLM with a magnification of 35. The resulting
image displayed a speckle pattern with a mean speckle size in the OASLM plane of 160 mm.
The read-beam diode laser operated at a wavelength of 853 nm and illuminated the surface of
the MQW OASLM. The MQW OASLM was imaged onto a Kodak 4.2 megapixel camera
which has a 9 mm pixel size. In addition, reflected light from the OASLM was optically
Fourier transformed using a 25 cm focal length lens and a 300 x 380 mm obscuring filter to
block the DC component of the Fourier transform. The FT plane was then imaged at a
magnification factor of 0.57, onto a Cohu 8420 camera which was connected to a frame
grabber. The resolution of the camera/frame grabber combination was 13.6 mm.

Shaker/diffuser

1.5 c m
9 5 mW
M=35 / cm 2 MQW OASLM
Real image
Camera 25 c m
45 c m FT
plane

10-20 mW/cm 2
Read
Laser

30 c m

FT Camera Write
Laser

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of experimental arrangement.

The diffuser was attached to a variable amplitude and frequency shaker driven by a
sine wave generator operating at 500 Hz. Faster speeds were not possible due to limitations of
the shaker. The MQW OASLM was driven, synchronously with the shaker, in reverse bias by
a 500 Hz square wave with an amplitude of 14 volts. The two write-beam pulses each had a
duration of 100 msec and the total intensity of the two write pulses was 95 mW/cm2. They

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were set in time at the extrema points of the shaker displacement when the quantum well bias
voltage was on. The write pulses were used to record the initial and final displaced speckle
patterns. A read pulse followed immediately after the second write pulse. The fluence of the
read pulse was kept well below (<20%) that of the write pulses to avoid erasing the pattern
written on the SLM.
The fringe patterns, in the Fourier transform plane, were also recorded as a function
of shaker voltage on a SVHS recorder and are shown in the animation of Fig. 2. The dark
rectangle in the center of the fringe pattern is an image of the obscuring filter. As the shaker
amplitude is increased the spacing between the fringes decreases.

Figure 2. Real-time movie of YoungÕs fringes produced from the double exposure speckle
pattern at the SLM. The fringe spacing decreases with increasing diffuser displacements. The
diffuser displacement is indicated in the movie.

The actual displacement, X, of the diffuser is related to the measured fringe spacing
by [4]

X = lR f MR / (MW S) Eq.(1)

where l R is the wavelength of the read beam, f is the focal length of the
transforming lens, M W is the magnification of the write beam illuminated speckle producing
surface onto the SLM, MR is the magnification of the read beam between the FT plane and the
camera, and S is the measured fringe spacing. Fig. 3 shows a plot of the diffuser
displacement calculated from the measured fringe spacing vs. the directly measured
displacement. The shaker displacement with voltage was measured directly by imaging a
wire, attached to the shaker. Using this calibration, the actual displacement for a particular
shaker amplitude was determined. Uncertainty in the read and write beam optics was the
principle source of uncertainty. However, within the uncertainty (approximately 10%) it is
clear that the two independent measurements of displacement agree very well over the 3-40
mm range indicated.

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 40

35

Slope = 0.945 ± 0.025

30
Displacement Inferred (mm)

25

20

15

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Measured Displacement (mm)

Figure 3. The displacement inferred from the measured fringe spacing according to Eq. 1 is
plotted against the directly measured displacement of the shaker The predominant source of
error (10%) was uncertainty in focal, length and magnification of the imaging optics.

3. Conclusion
Speckle photography with optically addressed multiple quantum well SLMs can
offer many advantages over conventional techniques. The speed of the approach is determined
by the time scale of the displacement and the amount of available light. Moderate power
diode lasers should be sufficient to drive the MQW OASLM to rates of tens of KHz. At
higher speeds, in fact the MQW OASLM may have additional advantages. These devices
exhibit a pattern persistence time of about 5 msec. Thus, for a periodic displacement, the
device will integrate over many cycles, further reducing the amount of light necessary. When
such persistence is not desirable an optical or electrical erasure pulse can be used. The
technique was accurate to about 5%. Sources of inaccuracy included determination of the
fringe spacing and small uncertainties in the magnification of the imaging system. Due to
resolution limitations of the MQW OASLM some magnification of the speckle is necessary to
measure displacements less than about 15 mm. Application of MQW OASLMÕs to other forms
of non destructive evaluation of materials such as speckle interferometry and double exposure
holography also look attractive.

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(C) 1998 OSA 25 May 1998 / Vol. 2, No. 11/ OPTICS EXPRESS 453