Electrically-Controllable Liquid Crystal Polarizing Filter for Eliminating Reflected Light

A high-speed controllable polarizing filter has been developed to eliminate obstructive polarized light reflected from glass and watery surfaces for image pickup in video media program producing and marine dynamic remote sensing. In this device, the polarization plane of incident light is rotated through 0°, 45°, 90° or 135° by an electrically-controllable polarization rotator composed of 45° and 90° twisted nematic liquid crystal cells, and the polarization component of reflected light is absorbed by a fixed polarizing film. It selectively absorbs more than 80% of incident white light linearly polarized in an arbitrary direction. With the drastic reduction of reflected light, the object images hidden by the bright reflected light are clearly captured in real time. Another type of polarizing filter, using a guest-host liquid crystal cell instead of the polarizing film, controls light absorption as well as polarization angle.     

Interaction of light with a dye-doped nematic liquid crystal

The interaction of linearly and circularly polarized beams with a nematic liquid crystal doped with light-absorbing dyes has been studied by light-diffraction and microprojection methods. It has been found that there is a threshold for the emergence of light-induced anisotropic structures, which, depending on the type of dye, can be axisymmetric or extended in a direction determined by the light field. Possible mechanisms leading to the formation of the anisotropic structures are discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 2059–2073 (June 1997)     

Optical activity of incommensurate crystals with plane-wave modulation

A phenomenological approach is used to discuss the propagation of polarized light in the incommensurately modulated phases of crystals of the family A₂BX₄ with spatially averaged inversion symmetry. The Jones-matrix technique for an anisotropic inhomogeneous medium is used to calculate the optical parameters of a crystal with sinusoidally modulated dielectric parameters. It is demonstrated that these crystals can exhibit a weak optical activity, i.e., weaker than that of crystals without inversion symmetry. Also discussed are boundary conditions on the phase of the modulation wave at the surface of a crystal plate. Results are obtained suggesting that the optical properties of an incommensurately modulated crystal need not depend on the shape of the modulation wave. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1360–1365 (August 1996)     

A NEW METHOD TO ALIGN LIQUID CRYSTAL MOLECULES BY LINEAR PHOTO-POLYMERIZATION FOR LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

A new technique to uniformly align liquid crystal molecules is presented. The technique is based on producing an anisotropic surface on the glass substrate coated with photo-polymers by photo-polymerization of linear polarized UV-light. The orientation of liquid crystal molecules is governed by the direction of the polarized vector of UV-light. Using this method, we have studied the photo-polymer PSi-CM aligning LC 6710A molecules. The liquid crystal microscopic texture between crossed polarizers, optical retardation from liquid crystal layers and electro-optical properties of twisted nematic liquid crystal display cell are obtained, which was prepared with one side -photo-alignment and the other side-rebbed substrate.     

Laser beam manipulation by composite material electro-optic devices

Liquid crystals are anisotropic materials whose optical properties can be easily controlled applying an electric field. For this reason, they are widely used in electro-optical devices. Besides other applications, liquid crystals electro-optical devices are suitable for laser beam manipulation. In this paper, we present some devices developed or studied in our laboratory: a twisted nematic liquid crystal (TN-LC) polarization rotator, a TN-LC protected light sensor, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) light modulator, a PDLC optoelectronic polarizer and a polymer liquid crystal (PoLiCryst) light modulator.     

Orientational order of some liquid crystal/dye mixtures obtained from optical birefringence

ABSTRACT

This study presents optical birefringence measurements as a function of temperature for the liquid crystal/dye mixtures. The optical birefringence of the liquid crystals used in liquid crystal displays technology is related to the order parameter <P₂>, which is crucial from the development point of view. The properties of the dyes (4-dimethylamino-4′-nitrostilbene and N,N′-bis(2,5-di-tert-buthylphenyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide) as a guest molecule are tested over the whole region of nematic phase occurrence by three different methods: measurement with use of the plano-convex lens, Berek's compensator and photoelastic modulator.     

Polarization of light: Fourth-order effects and polarization-squeezed states

The polarization properties of a monochromatic beam of light are ordinarily determined by three numbers, for example, the Stokes parameters. However, three numbers are no longer sufficient when intensity fluctuations in the polarized modes (or the correlation between them) are recorded. It is shown that in this case nine parameters, which can be arranged into 3×3 matrices, must be prescribed. The transformation properties of these matrices under polarization converters and the invariants of the matrices are analyzed. Specifically, the fourth-order polarization P ₄ is introduced. Several examples are examined of light with “hidden” polarization—light which is not polarized in the ordinary sense (P ₂=0) but is polarized in fourth order (P ₄≠0)—as well as “polarization-squeezed” light in which the quantum fluctuations of the Stokes parameters are suppressed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1955–1983 (June 1997)     

Fast and Accurate Phase Retardation Measurement of 0° Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Panels Based on the Principle of Homodyne Receiving

We describe herein a method to measure quickly (in less than 2 min) and accurately the phase retardation between the extraordinary and ordinary axis of homogeneous or 0° twisted nematic liquid crystal panels. Owing to the homodyne detection scheme, the setup allows us to probe liquid crystal (LC) panels with an optical power down to a fraction of 1 nW and, hence makes it possible to focus the light beam to a spot of only a few wavelengths in diameter without heating or inducing observable variations in the liquid crystal. The dependence of the phase retardation on the LC driver frequency and the temperature are presented and compared with the theoretical prediction.     

Studies of parity and time reversal symmetries in neutron scattering from165Ho

We describe searches for parity and time reversal violations in the scattering of polarized neutrons from polarized and aligned¹⁶⁵Ho targets. We have completed a search with 7.1 and 11.0 MeV neutrons for P_oddT_odd terms in the elastic scattering forward amplitude of the form s. (I×K), wheres is the neutron spin,I is the target spin andk is the neutron momentum vector. The target was a single crystal of holmium, polarized horizontally along itsb axis by a 1 Tesla magnetic field. The neutrons were polarized vertically. Differences in the neutron transmission were measured for neutrons with spins parallel (antiparallel) toI×k. The P,T violating analyzing powers were found to be consistent with zero at the few 10⁻³ level: ρ_P,T(7.1 MeV)=−0.88 (±2.02) x 10⁻³, ρ_P,T(11.0 MeV)=−0.4 (±2.88) x 10⁻³. We have also attempted to find enhancements with MeV neutrons in P-violation due to the term s\k. We are preparing an aligned target cryostat for investigations of P_evenT_odd terms {bd(I\k)(I×k)\s} in neutron scattering. The target will be a single crystal cylinder of¹⁶⁵Ho cooled to 100 mK in a bath of liquid helium and rotated by a shaft from a room temperature stepping motor. The cylinder will be oriented vertically and the alignment (c) axis oriented horizontally. Warming or rotation of the sample allows one to separate effects that mimic the sought-after time reversal violating term.     

NLC-CLC-NLC cell as an electrically tunable polarization plane rotator

A liquid crystal optical device made of an optically anisotropic heterostructure is considered. The device consists of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layer sandwiched by two phase-shifting anisotropic layers of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC). In this structure each of the NLC layers is a quarterwave plate. The problem is solved both by Ambartsumian’s method of layer addition and Muller’s matrix method. The peculiarities of reflection spectra, eigen polarizations, rotation of polarization plane and polarization ellipticity are studied. It is shown that this device can work as a light modulator or a system for obtaining linearly polarized light with electrically tunable rotation of the polarization plane (which is especially important for optical communication), as well as a device for obtaining the linearly polarized light from a non-polarized one.     

聚甲基丙烯酸肉桂酰氧基乙酯的光化学反应在液晶分子排列取向中的作用

研究了光聚合物材料聚甲基丙烯酸肉桂酰氧基乙酯(CEMC)对液晶材料LC-6710A的取向作用,取向层表面在光化学反应前后的变化;测量了光控取向膜液晶盒中液晶分子的预倾角及单面光控取向扭曲向列液晶显示器(TNLCD)的电光特性和时间响应特性,研究了这种材料的光化学反应过程,以及液晶分子排列取向的机理.     

Photoelectric properties of ITO/p +-p −-InP solar cells in linearly polarized light

Indium phosphide heterostructures and transparent conducting films of wide-gap oxides have previously been used in the development of highly efficient solar cells, making it possible to bring their efficiencies up to 18% [M. M. Koltun, Optics and Metrology of Solar Cells [in Russian], Nauka, Moscow (1985); V. M. Botnaryuk, L. S. Gagara, L. V. Gorchak et al., Geliotekhnika 23, 37 (1990); V. Botnariuc, L. Gagara, E. Negru et al., Solar Energy in Romania 2(1), 53 (1993)]. In the present paper results are reported from the first studies of the photoelectric properties, in linearly polarized light, of solar cells consisting of a heterojunction between single crystal indium phosphide and a mixed indium and tin oxide film (ITO film, E _g ≅3.6 eV [G. Check and A. Genis, Solid State Techol. 23(1), 102 (1980)]). Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 72–76 (May 1998)     

液晶指向矢分布的模拟和比较研究

用差分迭代法计算了扭曲、超扭曲以及混合排列丝状液晶在电场中指向矢的空间分布,与牛顿法和张弛法的计算作了比较;并应用于液晶电光特性的模拟计算 关键词： 液晶 指向矢 差分迭代     

复指数矩阵法研究螺旋液晶光学传播特性

提出一种研究螺旋液晶光学特性的数学处理方法.螺旋型液晶可当作N层双折射材料晶片叠合而成,而相邻晶片的光轴依次旋转一个小角度.在光学转换矩阵中引入复数来研究螺旋型液晶光学性能,给出了相关的数学处理方法.研究了线性偏振光在螺旋液晶中的传播特性,并给出了光经过螺旋液晶后电场强度的矩阵表达式.研究发现,如果入射光波长等于螺旋液晶螺距,线偏振光经过右螺旋液晶后是左旋圆偏振光.理论上分析了螺旋液晶对可见光选择性反射机理.     

Oriental behaviour of some homologues of 4-n-pentyl-phenylthio-4′-n-alkoxybenzoate doped with dichroic dye

The long-range orientational order of three members of 4-n-pentylphenylthio-4′-n-alkoxybenzoate series doped with a dichroic dye was studied by means of electronic absorption and fluorescence measurements. The order parameters <P₂> and <P₄> as well as the orientational distribution function were determined on the basis of absorption and emission spectra of linearly polarized light recorded as a function of temperature in the nematic, smectic A, and smectic C phases. An influence of the dye molecular structure on the orientational order of the dye/liquid crystal mixture was observed. Moreover, the dependence of the order parameter values on the length of the alkoxy chain in liquid crystal molecules was found. It was shown that the order parameter <P₄>, obtained from fluorescence measurements, can be helpful in recognizing the second-order or weakly first-order transitions between various liquid crystalline phases.     

All-fiber LP11 mode convertors

We describe two all-fiber devices for converting light from the fundamental mode to the second-order set of modes in optical fibers. The first is made by controlled hole collapse in a photonic crystal fiber, and the second is a twisted fused coupler made from few-moded conventional fiber. As well as having applications within fiber optics, the devices can be used to generate azimuthally polarized free-space beams.     

液晶物性实验介绍

介绍了在大学物理实验教学中新开设的研究液晶的旋光特性和电光效应(光开关、液晶光栅)的实验,以及对实验结果的分析．     

Optical response from dual-frequency hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal cells

Dual-frequency hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal cells and the influence of the parameters of a control electric field on their optical response are studied. It is found that the harmonic oscillations of the optical transmission in such cells are observed in the interval between low frequency-to-high frequency voltage switchings unlike in conventional twisted nematic cells. A V-shaped bistable optical response is obtained by successively applying sinusoidal electric fields with frequencies of 1 and 30 kHz to a twisted nematic cell. For a liquid crystal layer 8 ??m thick and an applied voltage of 50 V, the response time is 10 ms. In a hybrid-aligned twisted-nematic cell with a large initial tilt angle of the director (about 70°), the V-shaped optical response is observed when the inclined homeotropic state is switched to the twisted state by applying a 30-kHz field. The initial structure of the layer recovers as a result of natural elastic relaxation, and the response time increases roughly fourfold.     

Phase-Only Modulation with a Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Panel for a Reconfigurable Grating

A single-path transmission type twisted nematic liquid crystal panel appears to achieve nearly phase-only spatial light modulation when placed between a properly aligned polarizer and analyzer. We obtained more than π phase delay with the equipment whose retardation was less than π.     

Optically controllable bistable reflective liquid crystal display

This Letter demonstrates a photo-addressable, bistable reflective liquid crystal display that is based on a dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC). Bistable bright and dark states can be attained using the 45 deg twisted nematic (TN) and photo-induced isotropic states (PHI) of the DDLC, respectively. Both the 45 deg TN and PHI states can exist stably for tens of hours, and each can be rapidly switched to the other by the isomerization effect using UV and green light. A bistable reflective liquid crystal display is simply fabricated, easily operated, and rapidly switched. It therefore has the potential to be used in portable information systems.