Polarization of light transmitted through a polymer film with nanosized droplets of liquid crystal

A method is developed for analyzing the state of polarization of a plane wave transmitted through a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) film with nanosized liquid-crystal (LC) droplets. This method is based on the anisotropic-dipole approximation for describing scattering by a separate droplet and on the Foldy-Twersky approximation for describing propagation of light in a film. Equations are obtained that relate the ellipsometric parameters of coherent (direct) light transmitted through a PDLC film to the order parameters that characterize the morphological and structural properties of the film. Elliptic and circular polarizations and the rotation of the plane of polarization of a wave transmitted through a film are investigated under the normal illumination of the PDLC film by a linearly polarized plane wave. The order parameters of the PDLC film are determined as a function of a control field under the transition from a partially ordered structure of optical axes of LC droplets to a homeotropic structure.     

Development of a new kind of switchable holographic grating made of liquid-crystal films separated by slices of polymeric material

We present a new kind of UV-cured holographic grating that consists of polymer slices alternated with pure nematic films. By preventing the appearance of the nematic phase during the curing process, it is possible to avoid the formation of liquid-crystal droplets and obtain a sharp and uniform morphology, which reduces scattering losses and increases diffraction efficiency.     

表面垂直取向对HPDLC光栅特性的影响

为了提高聚合物/液晶（HPDLC）光栅的衍射效率并改善光栅的表面形貌,研究了表面垂直取向处理对HPDLC光栅的影响。首先,研究了表面垂直处理对液晶分子的取向作用,发现垂直取向层对液晶的锚定作用随着盒厚的增加而逐渐减弱,取向层的作用范围大概在3 m ~5 m之间;其次,对相分离程度进行了实验表征,结果表明,随着液晶盒厚度的增加,相分离开始的时间越来越快,并且分离程度也越来越彻底。最后,讨论了表面垂直取向对HPDLC光栅衍射效率的影响,随着盒厚的增加,相分离出来的液晶微滴形成连续的区域,光栅的衍射效率逐渐升高,当盒厚增加到一定程度,其衍射效率和无取向处理的光栅接近。当盒厚过大时,垂直取向处理对HPDLC光栅散射损失并没有太大的改善,只有当盒厚适中（12 m）时,光栅的衍射效率最高,散射损失最小。     

A method for calculating the light extinction coefficients of a polymer layer with small nematic liquid-crystal droplets

A method is proposed for analyzing radiation extinction coefficients of polymer films containing small nematic liquid-crystal droplets with cylindrical symmetry. This method is based on the Rayleigh-Gans approximation and the effective scattering matrix. The orientational ordering of both liquid-crystal molecules in droplets and the droplets in a layer is described by multilevel order parameters. The extinction of radiation in polymer films is analyzed for the cases of oblique and normal incidence of light. Simple and convenient expressions are derived for calculating and estimating the extinction coefficients for the case of normal incidence of light on a layer containing spherical droplets. The error of the method is estimated.     

Two-dimensional vectorial photonic crystals formed in azo-dye-doped liquid crystals

A 2D, square lattice, vectorial photonic crystal is formed by vectorial holography using an azo-dye-doped liquid-crystal material. Four coherent beams are interfered to generate a highly stable, switchable polarization holography structure. The formation of the vectorial lattice by the liquid-crystal molecular orientation is confirmed by diffraction pattern and polarization microscopy analysis. Simulations of the alignment and diffraction pattern are in good agreement with the experimental results. Polarization sensitive diffraction behavior is also consistent with the Kakichashvili model.     

Optical properties of a liquid-crystal cell subjected to a binary action of periodic shear and compression

A mechanooptical effect is described that appears in a liquid-crystal cell that contains a nematic liquid-crystal layer with an initial homeotropic alignment and is subjected to the binary action of periodic shear and compression. The change in the optical properties of the cell (increase in its transparency) is shown to be controlled by effects that are linear and nonlinear in a shear amplitude, and their relative contributions at high and low frequencies are analyzed.     

Retrieval of order parameters of a monolayer of liquid-crystal droplets with weak anchoring

An optical method is proposed for extracting the order parameters of single-layer polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal film (monolayer) containing bipolar liquid-crystal droplets under weak anchoring conditions. The method is based on an analysis of the coherent transmittance of a monolayer irradiated with a normally incident linearly polarized plane wave. The method is used to retrieve the order parameter of a spherical liquid-crystal droplet and the order parameter of a monolayer consisting of such droplets as functions of the applied electric field. The effect of inaccuracy of the input values of monolayer parameters on the error of retrieval of the order parameters is examined. The method can be used to determine the refractive index of the polymer binder, as well as other parameters of the film. It provides a tool for solving the inverse scattering problem with field-dependent or field-independent droplet order parameter.     

Focusing of light by polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal films with nanosized droplets

An analysis is presented of polarization-independent electrically tunable light focusing by polymerdispersed liquid-crystal films with nanosized liquid-crystal droplets. Polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal films with axially symmetric distributions of liquid-crystal droplet concentration and layers with axially symmetric thickness profiles are considered. The paraxial, Rayleigh, and Rayleigh-Gans approximations, as well as the Foldy-Twersky equation, are used to examine the dependence of focal length on lens geometry, droplet size, concentration of nematic liquid-crystal droplets, and applied field. The tunable focusing ranges are evaluated for both lens types considered in the study. Dependence of the transmittance of polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal film on its characteristics is analyzed. The results obtained are compared with those available from the literature.     

Measurement of polarization dependence of nonlinear susceptibility responsible for Rayleigh-wing and Brillouin scattering

By using a simple optical geometry based on backward light scattering and employing a Sandercock-type tandem Fabry-Perot interferometer, we measure both the linear and the circular polarization dependences of Rayleigh-wing and Brillouin scattering in a sample of liquid-crystal 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl. Observed polarization dependences are consistent with the third-order nonlinear susceptibilities, taking into account the traceless symmetric scattering tensor for Rayleigh-wing scattering and the isotropic scattering tensor for Brillouin scattering.     

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.     

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°).     

Miniature liquid-crystal-on-silicon display assembly

A novel integrated assembly process for miniature liquid-crystal-on-silicon displays using photodefinable benzocyclobutene resin is presented. Spin coating speed defines the cell gap, photolithography defines the cell perimeter and spacers, and thermocompression bonding provides the adhesion. The photodefined adhesive spacers provide thin liquid-crystal cell gap control (<2.5 microm) with excellent uniformity (+/-100 nm) for glass-on-glass and glass-on-silicon assemblies. The resin is compatible with common liquid-crystal alignment films and exhibits a bonding shear strength of 22+/-3.2 MPa The assembly process flow and characterization of demonstration devices are described.     

Calculation of spin alignment of deuterons traveling through matter

Calculations of the spin alignment of the relativistic deuteron beam passing through matter are described. The tensor polarization is calculated within the framework of the Glauber multiple scattering theory. The calculation results are compared with recent experimental data. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

表面摩擦处理对全息聚合物分散液晶光栅电光特性的影响

为了提高全息聚合物分散液晶光栅的衍射效率并降低其驱动电压,改善光栅的电光特性,研究了表面平行摩擦取向对全息聚合物分散液晶光栅电光特性的影响.理论分析认为,改善相分离结构和降低液晶微滴之间的有序度差异是优化光栅电光特性的根本所在.由于进行表面取向处理后的液晶和单体之间达到扩散匹配,使得相分离的程度大幅提高,在衍射能力增强的同时驱动电压也实现了大幅下降,而且,表面取向作用也使光栅内的液晶分子均匀排列,降低了液晶微滴之间的有序度差异,从而减少了光栅的散射损失.实验结果表明:进行取向处理后的光栅其衍射效率由传统光 关键词： 全息聚合物分散液晶 衍射效率 驱动电压     

大气中球形粒子的散射特性研究

从Mie理论出发，得到了不同尺度的球形粒子对激光的散射图像及粒子的消光效率曲线。从得到的散射图像可以看出，随着粒子尺度的逐渐增大，散射光强越来越集中到前向散射方向，并且散射光强集中的角度越来越窄。从消光效率曲线可以看出，随着粒子尺度的增加，消光效率因子变化趋于平缓，并逐渐趋向于常数2。最后分析了散射光的偏振度对粒子尺度和散射角的变化关系。从散射光的偏振度随粒子尺度变化图可以看出，粒子散射光的偏振度随粒子尺度的增大而增加，且变化比较明显，而散射光偏振度大小的峰值逐渐趋向于前向方向，随着粒子尺度的增大，散射光偏振度趋于减小。     

Numerical study on the wavelength-dependent polarization of light scattered by aqueous droplets for RGB spectrums

Based on Lorenz-Mie scattering theory, the transformation matrix of an aqueous droplet is derived analytically. By employing single scattering approximation and log-normal size distribution function, the DOP (degree of polarization) of the light scattered by a unit volume of aqueous droplets for RGB (red, green and blue) spectrums is studied. In our study, the wavelength-dependent complex refractive index for water with fine resolution is novelly obtained by using Piecewise Interpolation method based on Segelstein's refractive index data. The analytical results reveal that extrema of the DOP which is dependent on the relative intensities of the orthogonal polarizations are associated with scattering angles, and, for RGB spectrums, increasing wavelength can alleviate the influence of the resonance on the orthogonal polarizations and the DOP.     

Fréedericksz transition in confined liquid crystals: concentration and microgeometry effects

The Fréedericksz transition in dispersions of liquid-crystal droplets is studied analytically by balancing the electrostatic energy of the droplets with a strong anchoring elastic energy. Explicit dependence of the transition threshold field on the liquid-crystal volume fraction and the spatial arrangement of the droplets is obtained for the first time. As a result of the confined geometry, this threshold field does not depend on the thickness of the sample and splitting of the transition occurs in some situations.     

Coherent transmittance quenching effect in thin films of polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystals

The conditions for vanishing of the coherent component of radiation transmitted through a monolayer of polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid-crystal droplets are found. The influence of polydispersity and disorientation of axes of semispherical droplets on the conditions of interference quenching is studied. It is shown that these factors cause a change in the average size and concentration of droplets for which the quenching effect is realized. Data on the contrast ratio and the modulation depth of a monolayer, determined from the coherent component of transmitted radiation, are presented. It is shown that these characteristics can be considerably improved under quenching conditions for a film of polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid-crystal droplets.     

Study of the Effect of Pulsed-Periodic Electric Field and Linearly Polarized Laser Radiation on the Properties of Liquid-Crystal Waveguide

Integrated-optical waveguides with a nematic liquid-crystal 4-cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) waveguiding layer have been investigated for different polarizations of incident laser radiation and under a pulsed-periodic electric field. A dependence of the damping coefficient of waveguide modes and the sizes of quasi-steady-state irregularities of nematic liquid-crystal layer on the linear polarization of laser radiation and the strength of pulsed-periodic field has been found experimentally. The correlation length is estimated for waveguiding layer irregularities. The waveguide scattering method has provided a resolution in correlation length exceeding the classical resolution limit by approximately an order of magnitude. The observed decrease in the damping coefficient of waveguide modes and irregularity sizes under external field is explained by the decrease in the correlation length of director fluctuations.     

Aerosol scattering of supercontinuum radiation formed upon femtosecond laser pulse filamentation in the atmosphere

We report numerical calculations of scattering and backscattering efficiency factors of water droplets illuminated by a quasi-white light radiation (a supercontinuum radiation) that results from self-focusing of a high-power femtosecond laser pulse in the atmosphere. The behavior of these integral optical characteristics for a wide range of droplet sizes that covers the size spectra of fog and cloud particles is analyzed. The results are compared to the values of the scattering factors obtained by the Lorentz-Mie theory.