A liquid crystal shutter is a vibration-free alternative to a mechanical shutter that is especially convenient for use with polarized light beams.
Laser 2000 offers Twisted Nematic (TN) and Ferroelectric optical shutters.
Please refer to our Liquid crystal selection guide in the Downloads section.
Twisted Nematic High Contrast Shutter (LCS)
The TN liquid crystal switches between a state that rotates the input polarization by 90° with no voltage applied and a state that makes no change in the input polarization with 8 to 10 volts applied.
The shutter is supplied with integral dichroic visible polarizers that function over the wavelength range of 450 nm to 700 to provide an average contrast ratio of better than 1,000:1 over this wavelength range. Shutters with larger aperture sizes and with wavelength coverage to 2.1 microns are available on a custom basis
Achromatic Ferroelectric (High Speed) LC Shutter (FCS)
Meadowlark Optics’ Achromatic Ferroelectric Polarization Rotator features high speed and exceptional polarization purity over broad wavelength ranges. FLC devices offer a significant performance advantage in optical shutter and rotator applications demanding the fastest optical response times available.
This product needs to be used with the FC-010 controller.
Rotator Specifications:
| Retarder Material | Ferroelectric liquid crystal |
| Substrate Material | Fused silica |
| Wavelength Range | 405 – 850 nm
custom ranges up to 2 microns |
| Transmitted Wavefront
Distortion | λ/2 (P‐V @ 633)
λ/8 (RMS @ 633) |
| Surface Quality | 60 – 40 scratch‐dig |
| Beam Deviation | ≤ 5 arc min |
| Outside Diameter (mounted) | 2.00 ± 0.005 in.
please inquire about custom sizes |
| Clear Aperture | 0.70 in. (17.8 mm) |
| Response Time (10‐90% & 90‐10%) | ≤ 100 µs at room temp
wavelength dependent |
| Operating Temperature | 20˚C to 30˚C |
| Storage Temperature | 0˚C to 60˚C |
| Driver Requirements | ± 5 to 30 Volts,
50% duty cycle |
Shutter Specifications
(rotator with polarizers – includes specifications from above table):
| Polarizer Material | Dichroic Polymer |
| Transmission
please inquire about higher
transmission options | ≥ 30% (typical ‐ unpolarized light)
≥ 65% (typical ‐ polarized light) |
| Wavelength Range | 450‐720 nm, custom ranges up to 2 microns |
| Transmitted Wavefront
Distortion | λ/2 (P‐V @ 633)
λ/8 (RMS @ 633) |
| Contrast Ratio | ≥ 200:1 |
Controller Specifications:
| Dimensions | 5.3 in. W x 5.3 in. L x 2.0 in. H
13.5 cm W x 13.5 cm L x 5.1 cm H |
| Number of LC
Channels | Two, running identical programs
180 degrees out of phase |
| Output Waveform | Bipolar ± 15V peak voltage, ± 10V
holding voltage |
| Amplitude Resolution | 16‐bit; 1 mV voltage resolution |
| Internal Drive | 1 to 10,000 Hz, 50% duty cycle,
frequency controlled by front‐panel
10‐turn knob |
