Excitation and propagation of optical surface-guided electromagnetic waves in chiral liquid crystals

Vladimir A. Belyakov

doi:10.1117/12.215527

2 August 1995 Excitation and propagation of optical surface-guided electromagnetic waves in chiral liquid crystals

Vladimir A. Belyakov

Proceedings Volume 2372, Liquid Crystals: Materials Science and Applications; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.215527
Event: Liquid Crystals: Materials Science and Applications, 1994, Zakopane, Poland

Abstract

Excitation and propagation of surface guided electromagnetic waves (SGEW) of optical wave range in chiral liquid crystals (CLC) are theoretically examined in the framework of dynamical diffraction theory and an overview of the recent results in this field are presented. Unusual polarization properties and propagation diagram of SGEW are discussed. In the general case, the polarization properties of SGEW correspond to elliptical polarizations and are dependant on the SGEW propagation direction orientation relative to the director at the CLC surface, the SGEW frequency, and the film thickness. It is underlined that a qualitative difference related to the excitation and attenuation of SGEW in semi-infinite CLC and CLC films exists. The SGEW attenuation does not vanish even in nonabsorbing CLC films if total internal reflection at one of the film boundaries is absent. For CLC films, along with the conventional excitation of SGEW by means of attenuated total external reflection, it is possible to excite SGEW by a beam incident at the film from the side of a boundary where total internal reflection is absent. The above mentioned SGEW properties are illustrated by the results of calculations for typical experimental situations.

Citation Download Citation

Vladimir A. Belyakov "Excitation and propagation of optical surface-guided electromagnetic waves in chiral liquid crystals", Proc. SPIE 2372, Liquid Crystals: Materials Science and Applications, (2 August 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.215527

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