Numerical study of optical phase singularity birth in nematic liquid crystal cell

Svitlana Subota

doi:10.1117/12.569839

20 July 2004 Numerical study of optical phase singularity birth in nematic liquid crystal cell

Svitlana Subota

Proceedings Volume 5507, XVI International Conference on Spectroscopy of Molecules and Crystals; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.569839
Event: XVI International Conference on Spectroscopy of Molecules and Crystals, 2003, Sevastopol, Ukraine

Abstract

We present theoretical study of optical singularity birth in a wave front of Gaussian light beam with initially smooth wave front. A linearly polarised Gaussian beam illuminates the homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell. Strong director anchoring at the cell walls is assumed. Equilibrium director profile is determined by the minimum of the total free energy. Functional minimum is found numerically solving Euler-Lagrange equations. We find the threshold intensity for light induced Frederiks-type transition. Utilizing the Huygens-Fresnel principle, quasi-isotropic and geometrical optics approximations we calculate the amplitude distribution in space for different distances from the cell. In the case of stigmatic Gaussian beam we have a ring of zero amplitude of the beam. Thus the edge dislocation of a wave front is born.

Citation Download Citation

Svitlana Subota "Numerical study of optical phase singularity birth in nematic liquid crystal cell", Proc. SPIE 5507, XVI International Conference on Spectroscopy of Molecules and Crystals, (20 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.569839

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