From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Electro-optic effect: Any one of a number of phenomena that occur when an electromagnetic wave in the optical spectrum interacts with an electric field, or with matter under the influence of an electric field.
Two of the most important electro-optic effects having application as modulation mechanisms in optical communication are the Kerr effect and the Pockels effect, in which birefringence is induced or modified in a liquid (Kerr effect) or solid (Pockels effect).
The term "electro-optic" is often erroneously used as a synonym for "optoelectronic."
