Optical beam routing using arrays of vertical-cavity phase-flip modulators

Summary form only given. While typical vertical-cavity Fabry-Perot optical modulators are amplitude switches, we have previously demonstrated that it is possible to make a vertical-cavity phase-flip AlGaAs-GaAs modulator that maintains the same reflected amplitude but varies reflected phase from 0 to 1800 between the off and on states. We have used these latter devices to create a single-element electrically controlled phase diffraction grating operating at 7 V bias.