Optical loss anisotropy of alumina films that contain liquid crystals

Mitsunori Saito; Daisuke Tobise; Mitsunobu Miyagi

doi:10.1117/12.215500

1 December 1995 Optical loss anisotropy of alumina films that contain liquid crystals

Mitsunori Saito, Daisuke Tobise, Mitsunobu Miyagi

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 34, Issue 12, (December 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.215500

Abstract

Nematic liquid crystals were put into the micropores of anodic alumina films. Molecules of a liquid crystal tend to orient along the axis of columnar pores, since the pore diameter is smaller than 0.2 μm. Accordingly, the refractive index of the liquid crystal varies with the polarization of the light that propagates in the alumina film; i.e., the ordinary and extraordinary indices (n_o and n_e) correspond to polarizations that are vertical and horizontal to the pores, respectively. The anisotropy in refractive index causes a prominent polarization function due to the index mismatch between a liquid crystal and alumina (n = 1.64). When a liquid crystal of n_o = 1.50 and n_e = 1.64 is used, the optical loss for vertical polarization is larger than that for horizontal polarization by more than 10 times at 0.85- to 1.30-μm wavelengths. If one coats lecithin on the pore walls, molecules of a liquid crystal orient nonuniformly in the pores. Then the refractive index becomes nonuniform, and consequently, significant light scattering occurs inside the pores. The optical loss tends to decrease at shorter wavelengths and in alumina films with smaller pores.

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Mitsunori Saito, Daisuke Tobise, and Mitsunobu Miyagi "Optical loss anisotropy of alumina films that contain liquid crystals," Optical Engineering 34(12), (1 December 1995). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.215500

Published: 1 December 1995

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