Recent progress in Kerr cell technology: Physical considerations

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Abstract
The optical defects of former Kerr cells were essentially due to the electric field distortions in the liquid proceeding from the space charges which attended the electric current. The various conduction regimes and the electric field distribution in these different cases are analysed. It is shown that in the most unfavourable case-unipolar injection, which is the most frequent regime under high voltage-the electric field distortion can be made very low if the conductivity of the liquid is sufficiently reduced. The importance of the ionic purification of the liquid is emphasized and methods for liquid de-ionization and injection decrease are described. In Kerr cells it is now possible to benefit fully by the quadratic nature of the electrical birefringence of liquids.