Liquid crystal spatial light modulator based non-mechanical beam steering system fractional-order model

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Control Systems Engineering

Background:

• Liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LCSLMs) offer non-mechanical beam scanning.
• Traditional integer-order models fail to capture LCSLM dynamic performance due to liquid crystal viscoelasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more accurate model for LCSLM beam steering dynamics.
• To investigate the application of fractional calculus in modeling LCSLM behavior.
• To enhance control strategies for LCSLM-based beam scanning.

Main Methods:

• A fractional constitutive equation for liquid crystals was derived using fractional calculus memory characteristics.
• A fractional-order model for the LCSLM beam steering system was established.
• The Legendre wavelet integration operational matrix method was employed for parameter estimation.
• An experimental platform was built to validate the model's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The fractional-order model accurately describes the dynamic process of LCSLM beam steering.
• Experimental results validated the superiority of the fractional-order model over integer-order models.
• Analysis showed the influence of different model orders on beam steering dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The fractional-order model provides a more accurate representation of LCSLM beam steering.
• This model is applicable to developing advanced two-dimensional non-mechanical beam steering control strategies.
• The study facilitates achieving fast, accurate, and stable beam scanning using LCSLMs.