Full control of arbitrary linearly polarized structured light wavefronts using PA-LCoS devices

Parallel-Aligned Liquid Crystal on Silicon (PA-LCoS) Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) are highly adaptable devices capable of dynamically generating different beams through precise phase and polarization modulation. Within the various types of beams that can be produced with these devices, linearly polarized structured polarization beams offer unique properties that are advantageous for applications in fields such as microscopy, photoalignment, optical trapping, and communications. Generating purely linearly polarized structured beams is very challenging and requires a good characterization of the PA-LCoS. In this study, we apply Stokes polarimetric techniques twice: first to characterize the 2D retardance, and second to verify the fidelity of the generated structured light. We validate our approach by evaluating and compensating for spatial inhomogeneities for uniform wavefronts. Then, a wide variety of linearly polarized structured light beams are generated and metrologically evaluated to learn the uncertainty expected as a function of the complexity of the design. This approach not only enhances the stability and uniformity of the output beams but also broadens the potential for PA-LCoS SLMs in advanced optical applications.