Fast Shutter

An electro-optical fast shutter is a device that is used to control the transmission of light. It works by using an electro-optic crystal to change the polarization of the laser beam(Pockels effect). The crystal is placed in the path of the laser beam and is controlled by an electrical signal. When the electrical signal is applied, the polarization of the laser beam changes, which allows it to pass through a polarizer and reach the output. When the electrical signal is not applied, the polarization of the laser beam does not change, which causes it to be blocked by the polarizer and not reach the output. Fast EO shutters such as RTP based shutters can reach sub-nanosecond rise and fall time.