We present a high-diffraction-efficiency electro-optic grating switch based on a lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate ceramic wafer. By the employment of narrow contour-shaped metal electrodes instead of the commonly used indium tin oxide interdigital electrodes, this grating has the advantages of a low intrinsic-diffraction loss, high zero-order light on-off ratio, and fast time response. The zero-order light can be turned off with a voltage of 160 V. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America