Nonlinear Optical Response Of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Materials

P Palffy-Muhoray; J L West

doi:10.1117/12.945842

14 July 1988 Nonlinear Optical Response Of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Materials

P Palffy-Muhoray, J L West

Proceedings Volume 0927, Wave Propagation and Scattering in Varied Media; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.945842
Event: 1988 Technical Symposium on Optics, Electro-Optics, and Sensors, 1988, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Composite materials consisting of liquid crystal droplets dispersed in a polymer binder may be switched from an opaque scattering state to a clear transparent state by application of a d.c. or low frequency a.c. electric field.1-3 This optoelectronic response is the result of the effect of the external field on the birefringence of the liquid crystal contained in the droplets. The applied electric field serves to align the liquid crystal in an orientation such that the refractive index of the droplet is matched with that of the polymer binder. In this paper we report observations of a nonlinear scattering mechanism in polymer dispersed liquid crystal films due to reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules by the optical field of a CW argon ion laser. Preliminary observations show an 80% reduction in the transmittance of these materials due to laser induced scattering.

Citation Download Citation

P Palffy-Muhoray and J L West "Nonlinear Optical Response Of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Materials", Proc. SPIE 0927, Wave Propagation and Scattering in Varied Media, (14 July 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.945842

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