Liquid Crystal Shutter
Chapter 3: Product Overview
Rev D, January 8, 2020
Page 3
Chapter 3
Product Overview
Thorlabs’ Liquid Crystal Shutters are precision, high speed shutters that are ideal as a laser switch. They consist
of a Liquid Crystal (LC) cell, an electronic controller unit, and a mechanical housing, shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Liquid Crystal Shutter Block Diagram
The LC cell is sandwiched between two protective glass plates and two polarizers with crossed transmission
axes, shown below in Figure 2.
Figure 2
Liquid Crystal Cell Block Diagram
A line on the front of the housing (see Figure 3) marks the transmission axis of the shutter. Linearly polarized light
needs to be aligned with this mark for optimal shutter operation. When powered on, the LC cell is controlled by
the driving voltage, which can be controlled through the potentiometer on the top of the shutter (see Figure 4).
When fully powered, the LC cell will rotate the polarization axis of the input light by 90°, aligning it to the
transmission axis of the output polarizer and allowing it to propagate through the device without significant
attenuation. By adjusting the drive voltage, the amount of rotation can be controlled, and thus this device can also
function as a variable attenuator in addition to shutter functionality.
Summary of Contents for LCC1620
Page 1: ...LCC1620 M Liquid Crystal Shutter User Guide...
Page 17: ...www thorlabs com...
