An electrooptical deflector is presented. The electrooptical deflector includes
a material that has a different refractive index for different polarization states
and changes its refractive index in response to voltage (e.g., lithium niobate
or lithium tantalite). Inside the material is a poled region that includes triangularly-shaped
prisms, each of which affects the direction in which an incident light beam propagates.
When a light beam of a known polarization state propagates through the material,
its direction of propagation (i.e., the amount of deflection) is controlled by
a voltage applied to the poled region and the size and number of the prisms in
the material.