Laser light scattering technique for non-invasive in situ simultaneous measurements on elastic constants and viscosity coefficients of nematic liquid crystals

Theelasticconstantsandtheviscositycoefficientsarethekeyparametersforthephysicalpropertiesofnematicliquidcrystals(LCs)[1,2],fortheyarecorrespondingtothethresholdvoltageandtherespondingtimeofliquidcrystaldisplaydevices[3,4].Sofarnotechniquethatcansimultaneouslymeasurethetwoparametersinsituhasbeenreported.TheelasticconstantsandviscositycoefficientsofnematicLCsatthepresentaremeasuredusingdifferentmethodsindependently.TheviscositycoefficientsisgenerallymeasuredwithOstwaldviscosimeter,andtheelasti…     

聚合物网络稳定液晶的电光偏振片

制备了一种散射偏振片,它是由非晶态单体形成的聚合物网络、向列液晶和涂有聚酰亚胺的ＩＴＯ玻璃基板组成。聚酰亚胺被反向平行摩擦,液晶分子则沿摩擦方向取向,并被单体形成的网络所稳定。根据聚合物网络液晶的电光特性可知。入射偏振光束被散射或透射相应地取决于其偏振方向平行还是生趣于基板的摩擦方向。平行时,光的散射强度通过电场可被强烈地调节;垂直时,光的透过率很高,几乎不依赖施加的电场。这种偏振器件具有低的驱动     

Random lasing from dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals in oriented and non-oriented cells

These are the experimental results describing random lasing in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals. A novel random lasing emission is studied in this article based on the helical domains of dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals in oriented and non-oriented cells. Under frequency doubled 532 nm Nd:YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) laser-pumped optical excitation, we carefully observed and analysed random lasing from dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals with wavelength ranges from 600 nm to 620 nm. In addition, the line-width of multi-mode peaks is less than 0.2 nm. The difference between the two random lasing behaviours in the oriented and non-oriented cells arises from the fact that random lasing appearing in the oriented cell results from stronger multiple scattering of light generated by the spiral domains of the liquid crystal molecules. Furthermore, chiral nematic liquid crystal micro-domains with different orientations can induce variation of the diffusion constant, thereby resulting in a decrease or increase in the lasing intensity of the random lasers, and an increase or decrease in their energy thresholds. In addition, a detailed comparison of the two experimental results is also presented in the article, showing the dependence of the lasing threshold and the number of lasing modes on the transport mean free path, the excited area, and the sample size. This process allows us to obtain a random laser by changing the structure of the sample, realising tunable random lasers at low cost.     

T-matrix method for biaxial anisotropic particles

Using the T-matrix approach electromagnetic scattering by a biaxial anisotropic non-axisymmetric particle is studied. Electromagnetic fields inside the scatterer are expressed by a system of quasi-spherical vector wave functions which are derived by use of inverse Fourier transform. Using this expansion a solution of the light scattering problem in the framework of the null-field method with discrete sources is obtained.Numerical scattering results for ellipsoids and cubes are presented. For validation the calculation results obtained are compared with results from other light scattering programs such as DDSCAT and ADDA.     

Computer programs for light scattering by particles with inclusions

We present a comparison of computational results from light scattering by spherical particles with inclusions. The different simulation methods like the T-matrix method, multiple multipole method and the method of separation of variables are presented shortly. Exemplary numerical simulations involve scattering by particles with one or two spherical inclusions and scattering by particles with non-spherical inclusions.     

Anisotropic weak localization of light

We have observed angular anisotropy in weak localization of light from highly scattering, orientationally ordered, nematic liquid crystals. This demonstration of angular anisotropy in a multiple-scattering interference phenomenon was facilitated by a light scattering instrument with extraordinary angular resolution. The measured anisotropies were consistent with a simple model of coherent backscattering generalized for propagation-direction dependent mean free paths.     

Determination of ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices of nematic liquid crystals by using wedge cells

A new accurate and fast interference method for determining ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices of nematic liquid crystals is presented and discussed. The method relies on microscopic measurements of distances between interference fringes appearing in polarised parallel coherent monochromatic light beam transmitted normally to the surfaces through a wedge cell filled with a nematic. Both glass plates confining the cell are coated with a partly transparent thin film of metal which is deposited by evaporation in vacuum. Owing to the multiple reflections between the surfaces and a small edge angle, the interference fringes observed near the wedge apex edge are sharp and equidistant. To apply this method one needs only small amount of an investigated liquid crystal. Basic mathematical formulae and results of an experiment are briefly discussed.     

Depolarization of light in microstructured fibers filled with liquid crystals

In the paper we analyze microstructured optical fibers filled with typical nematic liquid crystals, i.e., 5CB and 6CHBT under influence of external electric field or temperature. We use the modified Mueller matrix method with an additional depolarization matrix to calculate degree of polarization changes of the light propagating in the liquid-crystal infiltrated microstructured optical fibers. Preliminary experimental results of light depolarization measurements during propagation in these microstructured fibers are also presented.     

T-matrix method for electromagnetic scattering from scatterers with complex structure

We describe a T-matrix program for light scattering calculations from particles with complex structure. The code treats the cases of homogeneous, layered and composite scatterers. These results are combined with basic results concerning the scattering by inhomogeneous scatterers and aggregates to apply to more general types of scatterers. Some numerical simulations are presented.     

Coherent transmittance of a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film in a strong field: Effect of correlation and polydispersity of droplets

A method for computing the coherent transmittance of a film of polymer dispersed nematic liquid crystals aligned by an external field in the case of an oblique incidence of light is developed, and a theoretical analysis of this quantity is performed. The effects of close packing are considered in terms of the interference approximation of the theory of multiple wave scattering. The correlation arising in the spatial distribution of polydisperse droplets is taken into account by introducing partial distribution functions. It is shown that an increase in the concentration of liquid crystal droplets is accompanied by an increase in the coherent transmittance of the film.     

Angular structure of radiation scattered by monolayer of polydisperse droplets of nematic liquid crystal

We considered light scattering by a polydisperse ensemble of droplets of a nematic liquid crystal. To model light scattering by a monolayer of polymer-dispersed spherical droplets of a nematic liquid crystal with cylindrical symmetry of its internal structure, we proposed a semianalytical modeling method. The method is based on interference approximation of the theory of multiple wave scattering, anomalous diffraction approximation, and effective-medium approximation. The method takes into account cooperative optical effects in concentrated, partially ordered layers and can be used to analyze the small-angle structure of the intensity of scattered radiation in relation to the concentration, size, polydispersity of liquid crystal droplets, orientation of their optical axes, and refractive indices of the liquid crystal and polymer. The obtained relations can be applied to solving direct and inverse problems of light scattering in composite liquid crystal materials using data of polarization measurements. We present graphical results of solving the direct problem for components of the polarization vector of scattered wave. These results illustrate the formation of an angular structure for monolayers with a high concentration of polydisperse droplets of the liquid crystal in the range of small scattering angles (0 < θ _s ≤ 8°).     

Optical studies in liquid crystals using the high-accuracy universal polarimeter

The so-called high-accuracy universal polarimeter (HAUP) is introduced as a tool to study optical properties of liquid crystals. It is shown that besides homogeneous crystals, the HAUP method also permits to investigate inhomogeneous materials, provided that the optical parameters vary slowly on a wavelength scale. The technique is especially useful when small effects are sought. Measurements are presented for several twisted nematic samples. Twist angles are measured with high accuracy and non-adiabatic effects for light propagation, such as apparent indicatrix rotations or effective gyrations, are easily detected. The results agree well with the predictions of a first-order perturbation treatment for light propagation through a stratified medium. Finally, the changes of the director profile are analyzed in a planar sample that presents a chiral nematic to smectic-A transition. The experimental data indicate that if the rubbing directions of the cell are not strictly parallel, the molecules at the surfaces undergo small twists in both phases, and the twist parameters are determined. Received 13 September 1999 and Received in final form 25 January 2000     

Coherent backscattering of light in nematic liquid crystals

Multiple light scattering by director fluctuations in nematic liquid crystals is considered. A uniform director orientation is assumed to be specified by an applied magnetic field. The coherent backscattering effect, which consists in the presence of a sharp light backscattering peak, is studied. The Bethe-Salpeter equation is used to calculate the multiple scattering intensity taking into account the contributions of ladder and cyclic diagrams. An analytical expression for the angular and polarization dependences of the coherent backscattering intensity is obtained in terms of the diffusion approximation. The calculation and experimental results are compared. The developed theory is shown to qualitatively describe the elliptical shape of the backscattering cone, to explain the absence of a coherent contribution for crossed polarizations, and to calculate the relative peak height.     

Dynamic light scattering study of biaxial ordering in a thermotropic liquid crystal

Dynamic light scattering from orientational order fluctuations in a liquid crystalline tetrapode reveals successive, weakly first-order isotropic to uniaxial and uniaxial to biaxial nematic phase transitions. The order parameter relaxation rates exhibit temperature dependences consistent with Landau-de Gennes mean field theory. Combined with previous evidence of a second-order uniaxial-biaxial transition in a closely related tetrapode, the present study supports the existence of a nematic-nematic tricritical point in thermotropic liquid crystals.     

Study of light-induced reorientation of the nematic liquid crystal director by birefringence dynamics

It is proposed to apply the birefringence method to measure the threshold of the light-induced Freedericksz transition and the nonlinearity enhancement factor of nematic liquid crystals by director relaxation dynamics in the light field. A birefringence change is recorded by interference of ordinary and extraordinary components of the light beamaffecting the liquid crystal director orientation. The Freedericksz transition thresholds and nonlinearity enhancement factors are measured for the samples doped with comb-shaped polymers with various degrees of polymerization. The determined thresholds are in agreement with the results obtained by the aberrational self-action method.     

Laser light scattering technique for non-invasive<Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> simultaneous measurements on elastic constants and viscosity coefficients of nematic liquid crystals

The laser light scattering technique for non-invasivein situ simultaneous measurements on elastic constants and viscosity coefficients of nematic liquid crystals is introduced. By measuring the autocorrelation function of the scattered light from nematic liquid crystals at different scattering angles, the splay and twist elastic constantsK ₁₁ andK ₂₂ are obtained from the amplitudes of the autocorrelation function, and the viscosity coefficients ofη _Splay andη _Twist are determined using the viscoelastic ratiosK ₁₁/η _Splay andK ₂₂ η _Twist from the telaxation parameters of the two modes.     

Complementary interference method for determining optical parameters of liquid crystals

ABSTRACT

Wedge cells of small apex angle, filled with liquid crystals, were used to determining optical characteristics as functions of temperature for three liquid crystalline mixtures recently produced and a reference nematic. The interference fringes appearing in polarised monochromatic light (of sodium yellow line) normally incident on the cell were exploited to measure the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices in the reflection mode and birefringence in the transmission mode. The measurements were repeated using Abbe's refractometer for 6CHBT as the reference to verifying the precision. Additionally the order parameter was computed from birefringence as a function of temperature. The results confirm the usefulness of the method and provide the properties of two nematic liquid crystals of small and large birefringence and one smectic liquid crystal of medium birefringence, recently produced. The experimental systems served also to investigating phase transition between the liquid crystals and the isotropic liquid at near-clearing temperature.     

T-matrix formulation and generalized Lorenz-Mie theories in spherical coordinates

There has been recently a growing interest in the development of what is usually known as the T-matrix method (better to be named: T-matrix formulation), in connection with studies concerning light scattering by nonspherical particles. Another line of research has been devoted to the development of generalized Lorenz-Mie theories dealing with the interaction between arbitrary electromagnetic shaped beams and some regular particles, allowing one to solve Maxwell’s equations by using a method of separation of variables. Both lines of research are conjointly considered in this paper. Results of generalized Lorenz-Mie theories in spherical coordinates (for homogeneous spheres, multilayered spheres, spheres with an eccentrically located spherical inclusion, assemblies of spheres and aggregates) are modified from scalar results in the framework of the Bromwich method to vectorial expressions using vector spherical wave functions (VSWFs) in order to match the T-matrix formulation, and to express the T-matrix. The results obtained are used as a basis to clarify statements, some of them erroneous, concerning the T-matrix formulation and to provide recommendations for better terminologies.     

Coherent backscattering in nematic liquid crystals in an external magnetic field

We consider multiple light scattering in a nematic liquid crystal. Using the Monte Carlo method, we calculate for the first time the effect of a magnetic field on the shape of the peak of coherent backscattering taking into account the long-range action of fluctuations of the orientational order and anisotropy of the scattering length. For a small number of initial and final scattering events, we take into account the ordinary mode of light, which is weakly scattered in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC), whereas a strongly scattered extraordinary mode is taken into account for all scattering events. For simplicity, we use a single-constant approximation of the NLC elastic moduli. We show that the angular shape of the peak of coherent backscattering remains nearly unchanged, whereas the magnetic field and the scattering phase function vary by several orders of magnitude.