Recent Developments In PLZT Electrooptic Shutters

PLZT electrooptic shutters utilized as thermal/flash protective devices (TFPD) are currently under development by Sandia Laboratories for the USAF Life Support System Program Office at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the U. S. Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Massachusetts. The PLZT/TFPD is being developed to provide protection for aircrews and vehicle operators from temporary flashblindness effects and permanent retinal burns which may result from exposure to the brilliant flash of a nuclear detonation. The operational characteristics of PLZT electrooptic shutters is briefly described, and several applications are presented. Some of the recent developments in PLZT electro-optic shutter design are also described, with emphasis on a new approach for applying interdigital electrodes to polished PLZT wafers, techniques for bonding and mounting PLZT lens assemblies, and recent improvements in the efficiency of sheet polarizers.