Tunable face-centered-cubic photonic crystal formed in holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals

We report on the fabrication and electro-optic measurements of face-centered-cubic (fcc) lattices in holographic polymer dispersed liquid-crystal materials. Four linearly polarized coherent plane waves were interfered to generate a fcc optical lattice that was subsequently and indefinitely recorded as an arrayed pattern of nanometer-sized liquid-crystal droplets (approximately 50 nm) at lattice nodes within a polymer matrix. Observed transmission spectra and Kossel diffraction curves are consistent with fcc crystal structure. A completely reversible 2% wavelength shift of the (+/- 111) stop band was observed on application of an electric field.     

Thermal polarization properties of thick anisotropic diffraction holograms recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

The diffraction and polarization properties of thick anisotropic holographic gratings recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals are studied experimentally and theoretically. Such gratings are anisotropic and sensitive to temperature variations and also exhibit a strong dependence of the diffraction properties on the incident radiation polarization because of the presence of liquid-crystal molecules. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency and diffracted beam polarization orientation on the diffraction grating temperature and incident beam linear polarization are obtained for the case of Bragg incidence. The same dependences are derived using the known experimental temperature curves of the liquid crystal permittivity. The experimental data are in agreement with the theoretical calculations. The feasibility of controlling the diffraction characteristics of the grating in a wide temperature interval is demonstrated.     

Laser-induced nonlinear thermal orientation effects in planar and homeotropic nematic liquid crystals

Nonlinear phenomena induced by laser in nematic liquid crystals are studied experimentally. It is shown that these phenomena are displayed in different forms depending on the initial orientation of liquid-crystal cell and laser polarization. The diffraction nature of the effects is eliminated experimentally and for their explanation the orientation-thermal mechanism is proposed.     

Droplet deformation and alignment for high-efficiency polarization-dependent holographic polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal reflection gratings

Droplet deformation and alignment are achieved in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal reflection gratings by applying an in situ shear during recording. High diffraction efficiency (99%) is obtained for light polarized parallel to the shear, with nearly zero efficiency for perpendicular polarization, and no increase of incoherent scattering. Permanent polarization dependence is related to stress-induced morphology changes of liquid-crystal droplets that are frozen by polymerization. The system is studied by electron microscopy and modeled by anisotropic coupled-wave and scattering theory. The morphology is consistent with the theory of small deformations of liquid droplets in fluid flow. Diffraction efficiency measurements are in agreement with theory incorporating this morphology as well as concomitant orientation and alignment of liquid-crystal molecules.     

Real-time enhancement of defects in periodic patterns by use of a bacteriorhodopsin film

We present a real-time optical system to enhance defects in periodic patterns by use of nonlinear spatial filtering by real-time holography. A straight and equispaced grating written in a bacteriorhodopsin film is read by the Fourier transform of a periodic pattern to be inspected. Because the diffraction efficiency of the grating depends on the intensity of the reading beam, only the defect component can be selectively diffracted and imaged. This system is applicable even to moving objects. We present experimental results that show enhancement of defects as small as 10 microm in a photomask with a pixel pitch of 150 microm used for a liquid-crystal display.     

Polarization controller using nematic liquid crystals

In this Letter we demonstrate a polarization controller capable of changing any state of polarization of light from one arbitrary state to another. The controller consists of a stack of three homogeneous nematic liquid-crystal cells. The polarization state is controlled by proper adjustment of the voltages applied across each of the cells. The mathematical algorithm and principles of this polarization controller are developed in the framework of the Stokes parameters, allowing easy visualization by use of a Poincaré sphere representation. The transformation functions are given for conversion of an arbitrary input state to any output state. Experiments are carried out to demonstrate arbitrary polarization transformation.     

一种近似矢量衍射模型在衍射微光学元件分析中的应用

标量衍射理论形式简洁，有很高实用性，但是在衍射微光学元件分析中显得模型粗糙，准确度下降。严格矢量衍射理论由于计算复杂，非常耗费时间和资源，因此也不是一种很有效的设计工具。 我们在本文中运用了一种简单的近似矢量衍射模型分析了几种典型衍射微光学元件衍射性能，此衍射模型采用了标量衍射理论和近似近场模型的结合。 TE和TM两种偏振模式均运用此近似矢量衍射模型进行了分析，我们发现此衍射模型可以得到比标量衍射理论更准确的结果，而与严格电磁场理论相比，它占用很少的计算时间。     

Polarization anisotropy of optical transmission in opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals

The transmission spectra of thin-film colloidal photonic crystals with three-dimensional and one-dimensional-two-dimensional photonic energy band structures, i.e., opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals with a refractive index contrast of ∼1.5: 1.0, have been measured in linearly polarized light. It has been demonstrated that the polarization anisotropy in the light transmitted through the crystal is uniquely related to the diffraction resonance and that the degree of polarization can exceed 90%. A higher degree of polarization is provided by lattices that are characterized by a smaller attenuation of light polarized in the plane of incidence. It has been revealed that the diffraction resonances from the crystal planes for which the dispersions are in anticrossing with the dispersion of the growth planes acquire the same anisotropy. The general character of the results obtained has been confirmed by the fact that the polarization anisotropy identically manifests itself in colloidal crystals that have different symmetries and lattice orderings.     

Three dimensional polarization control in 4Pi microscopy

An approach to obtain a diffraction-limited spherical focal spot with controllable three dimensional state of polarization in 4Pi microscopy is proposed. By combining the angular radiation pattern of a dipole antenna and vectorial diffraction method, input field at the pupil plane for creating a spherical focal spot with arbitrary three dimensionally oriented linear polarization is found analytically by solving the inverse problem. A diffraction-limited spherical spot with arbitrary three dimensional elliptical polarization can be realized by introducing a second dipole antenna oriented in the orthogonal plane with appropriate amplitude and phase differences.     

Propagation and polarization properties of hollow Gaussian beams in uniaxial crystals

Based on the paraxial vectorial theory of beams propagating in uniaxially anisotropic media, we have derived the analytical propagation equations of hollow Gaussian beams (HGBs) in uniaxial crystals, and given the typical numerical example to illustrate our analytical results. Due to the anisotropy crystals, the ordinary and extraordinary beams originated by incident HGBs propagate with different diffraction lengths, thus the linear polarization state and axial symmetry of incident HGBs do not remain during propagating in crystals.     

吲哚俘精酰胺的偏振全息图像光存储实验研究

在吲哚俘精酰胺/PMMA薄膜上记录了同偏振全息和正交偏振全息图，获得了它们的再现衍射像.实验结果表明：吲哚俘精酰胺具有光致各向异性，可以进行正交偏振全息记录.在偏振全息中，衍射光的偏振方向依赖于物光和再现光的偏振方向，衍射像的噪声主要来源于再现光照射到样品上引起的散射.正交偏振全息可以得到比同偏振全息更高信噪比的衍射像.存储于样品上的全息图在室温下黑暗处至少可以保存五个月而衍射效率无明显下降.结果表明，吲哚俘精酰胺是一种可用于偏振全息的可擦重写记录介质. 关键词： 偏振全息 光致各向异性 俘精酸酐 光致变色     

Propagation properties of beams generated by Gaussian mirror resonator in uniaxial crystals

Based on the paraxial vectorial theory of beams propagating in uniaxially anisotropic media, we have derived the analytical propagation equations of beams generated by Gaussian mirror resonator (GMR) in uniaxial crystals, and given the typical numerical example to illustrate our analytical results. Due to the anisotropy crystals, the ordinary and extraordinary beams originated by incident beams generated by GMR propagate with different diffraction lengths, thus the linear polarization state and axial symmetry of the incident beams generated by GMR do not remain during propagating in crystals.     

Photorefractive polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

We report observation of the photorefractive effect in functionalized polymer-dispersed liquid crystals. The photoconductive properties are provided by the polymer matrix, and the field-dependent refractive-index changes are generated by the dispersed nematic liquid-crystal droplets. A high diffraction efficiency (8%) and a high refractive-index modulation amplitude (Dn = 2 x 10(-3)) are obtained in 53- microm-thick samples with an applied field of 22 V/microm.     

Polarization-selective switching in holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid crystals

We have developed an optical stack of holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid-crystal (H-PDLC) devices that is fully operational with nonpolarized light sources. The device consists of two H-PDLC transmission gratings separated by a passive polarization rotator that can output a diffracted s-polarized, p-polarized, or s- and p-polarized beam simultaneously.     

Stokes参量数字全息法实现相位物体成像

为实现对相位物体的无损检测和成像,克服数字同轴全息相位物体成像技术在消除零级像和孪生像的干扰时存在的系列问题,提出一种基于Stokes参量的新的数字同轴全息技术。该方法区别于传统的利用干涉光场来记录原始像项的数字全息方法,通过测量物参光合成光束的Stokes参量来分别得到这两束光的振幅和相位差,从而准确、唯一地获得原始像项;再利用数字再现即可重构物光的振幅和相位信息。实验中对弱吸收的相位样品进行了测量,得到样品清晰的振幅和相位分布。结果表明,采用该方法对相位物体进行数字全息再现,可以克服传统同轴全息图中零级像和共轭像对相位物体信息的严重干扰,对于提取相位物体的振幅和相位信息是可行和有效的。     

Switchable broadband achromatic half-wave plate with nematic liquid crystals

We describe a broadband achromatic half-wave retarder for normally incident light of arbitrary polarization. The device consists of a stack of one nematic liquid-crystal cell with uniform alignment sandwiched between two twisted nematic layers that have identical twist angles (135 degrees) but different orientations of their surface alignment. As a specific application, for light with linear polarization at 45 degrees to the optic axis of the homogeneous cell the stack functions efficiently as an optical switch. The switch rotates the incident linear polarization by 90 degrees in the absence of an electric field. When sufficiently high voltage is applied to all three layers, the device produces a near-zero effect on the incident polarization. An achromatic response in the spectral range 400-700 nm is achieved for both activated and quiescent states.     

Experimental study on polarization holographic storage in genetic mutant BR-D96N film

The information storage is developing toward high speed access and massive stor-age capacity. Optical holographic storage has not only high speed parallel data access and high addressing speed without mechanical motion but also high storage density with multiplexed volume holographic storage[1]. In recent years, optical holographic storage is studied intensely in the field of information storage. It has been shown that the polari-zation of light could also be recorded with polarization hologra…     

矩形点阵微结构聚合物光纤偏振特性研究

采用全矢量平面波方法,以聚合物为基材,研究了矩形点阵微结构聚合物光纤的传输模场和偏振性质.结果发现,矩形点阵微结构聚合物光纤基模两个正交偏振态不再简并,模场呈现类矩形且具有较强的线偏振特性;该光纤模式双折射产生于包层孔结构分布的不对称性,减小包层纵向孔间隔和横向孔间隔之比η值,双折射明显增强,适当调节η,可在更宽频带范围内实现高双折射单模运行.     

Propagation properties of three-dimensional flattened Gaussian beams in uniaxially anisotropic crystals

Starting from the paraxial vectorial theory of beams propagating in uniaxially anisotropic media, the analytical propagation equations of three-dimensional flattened Gaussian beams (FGBs) in uniaxial crystals are derived and illustrated numerically. It is shown that, due to the anisotropy of crystals, the ordinary and extraordinary beams originated by incident FGBs propagate with different Rayleigh lengths, thus the linear polarization state and axial symmetry of incident FGBs do not remain during propagation in crystals.