Ha motlakase o eketsoa ho kristale ea electro-optic, index ea refractive le lisebelisoa tse ling tsa optical tsa phetoho ea kristale, fetola boemo ba polarization ea leqhubu la leseli, e le hore leseli le pota-potileng le fetohe leseli la elliptically polarized, ebe le fetoha leseli le polarly polarized. ka polarizer, 'me matla a khanya a fetoloa. Ka nako ena, leqhubu la leseli le na le tlhahisoleseding ea molumo mme le phatlalatsa sebakeng sa mahala. Photodetector e sebelisetsoa ho amohela lets'oao la optical modulated sebakeng se amoheloang, ebe phetoho ea potoloho e etsoa ho fetolela lets'oao la optical ho lets'oao la motlakase. Letšoao la molumo le tsosolosoa ke demodulator, 'me qetellong phetisetso ea optical ea molumo oa molumo e phethiloe. Matla a sebelisitsoeng ke lets'oao la molumo o fetisitsoeng, e ka bang tlhahiso ea sehatisi sa seea-le-moea kapa "tape drive", 'me ha e le hantle ke lets'oao la motlakase le fetohang ka nako.