ABSTRACT
Optical modulators are devices that alter the temporal and spatial character of a light beam. Such devices
are required in virtually all areas of optical technology, particularly optical communication, storage,
signal and image processing, and optical sensing. Other chapters in this Handbook provide in-depth
descriptions of application areas, such as optical communications (Chapter 12 and Chapter 20), optical
data storage (Chapter 12 and Chapter 16), and optical signal processing (Chapter 19). Many of the
technologies and processes used in the construction of optical modulators are important aspects of other
chapters, especially the chapters on waveguide optics (Chapter 13 and Chapter 14).
