Dynamical behaviour of holographic gratings with a nematic film --Polymer slice sequence structure

We have studied the dynamical response of a new kind of holographic grating to a pulsed electric field. The structure, named POLICRYPS, consists of a sequence of homogeneous polymer slices separated by liquid-crystal films. We have found that both the rise and fall response times depend on the pulse duration and amplitude of the applied electric field. We propose a phenomenological explanation for this behaviour, outlining the possibility of getting response times of the order of 100 s by properly choosing the pulse shape. Results are very interesting for developments in which POLICRYPS gratings could be proposed as basic elements in photonic devices for telecom applications, and induce to a deeper analysis of the microscopic interaction between liquid crystal and polymer interfaces in these samples.Received: 5 February 2004, Published online: 14 September 2004PACS: 61.30.Pq Microconfined liquid crystals: droplets, cylinders, randomly confined liquid crystals, polymer dispersed liquid crystals, and porous systems - 42.40.Eq Holographic optical elements; holographic gratings - 61.30.Hn Surface phenomena: alignment, anchoring, anchoring transitions, surface-induced layering, surface-induced ordering, wetting, prewetting transitions, and wetting transitions