液晶调制技术在太阳磁场探测中的应用及展望

快速偏振调制和超窄带滤光是太阳光学望远镜实现磁场探测的最核心技术途径，而液晶调制是目前唯一可同时满足偏振测量和窄带调谐滤光的电光调制技术。而且，液晶调制器具有口径大、光谱范围宽、调制速度快、无旋转机构以及相位延迟连续可调的优势，使其成为下一代太阳望远镜磁场探测技术的最佳选择。文章简要介绍液晶科学的发展历史及液晶调制器的基本工作原理，详述液晶调制技术在太阳磁场探测中的应用现状和研究进展，探讨液晶调制技术面临的挑战以及未来发展方向。基于我国太阳磁场望远镜的研究和发展态势，相信液晶调制技术将在我国未来空基、地基太阳磁场探测中发挥至关重要的作用。

Application and prospect of liquid crystal modulation technology in solar magnetic field detection

The fast polarization modulation and the ultra-narrow-band filtering both are the key tools for solar telescopes to detect the magnetic field. The liquid crystal modulation is, up to now, the only electro-optic modulation technology that can meet the requirements of the polarization measurement and the narrowband filtering at the same time. Moreover, the liquid crystal modulator enjoys many advantages, such as the large aperture, the wide spectral range, the fast modulation speed, without a rotation mechanism and the continuously adjustable phase delay, which make the liquid crystal modulator a strong growth point of the magnetic field detection technology for the next generation of solar telescope. This paper briefly introduces the development history, the basic working principle of the liquid crystal, the current applications of the liquid crystal modulating technology in the solar magnetic field telemetry, and the challenges and the future development directions of the liquid crystal modulation technology. As seen from the research and development of the solar magnetic field telescopes in China, it is believed that the liquid crystal modulation technology will play an important role in the space- and ground-based solar magnetic field detection in the future.