Polarization-controlled switching between diffraction orders in transverse-periodically aligned nematic liquid crystals

被引：86

作者：

Sarkissian, Hakob ^{[1
]}

Serak, Svetlana V. ^{[1
]}

Tabiryan, Nelson V. ^{[1
]}

Glebov, Leon B. ^{[1
]}

Rotar, Vasile ^{[1
]}

Zeldovich, Boris Ya. ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Beam Engn Adv Measurements Co, Winter Pk, FL 32789 USA

来源：

OPTICS LETTERS | 2006年 / 31卷 / 15期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1364/OL.31.002248

中图分类号：

O43 [光学];

学科分类号：

070207 ; 0803 ;

摘要：

Transverse-periodic-oriented nematic liquid crystals (LCs) are a special type of optical axis grating that are capable of very high efficiency diffraction (theoretically, 100%) in thin layers of materials with thickness comparable to the radiation wavelength. In particular, they fully diffract linearly polarized input beam into circularly polarized +1st and -1st diffraction orders. We experimentally demonstrate switching between diffraction orders of such gratings when the polarization of the incident beam changes from right-circular to left-circular and vice versa with the aid of an electrically controlled LC phase retarder. Such a setup in which the diffraction efficiency and direction are controlled externally, without application of an electric field to the transverse-periodic grating, provides additional control opportunities and does not compromise the quality of the grating. The grating used in the experiment was 1.5 mu m thick and had a period of 4 mu m. The contrast ratio of switching between the +1st and -1st orders was as high as 267:1 for a He-Ne laser beam with a switching time of 6.6 ms. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America

引用

页码：2248 / 2250

页数：3

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