We tried to develop the liquid crystal geometric phase elements (LCGPE) that are available for use in the midand far-infrared (MIR and FIR) wavelengths. In view of optical throughput, the materials for making GPE were selected by the use of a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. The LC polarization grating (LCPG) and LC q-plate (LCQP) designed for 3.85 µm and 9.5,µm are respectively fabricated, and evaluated their diffraction properties experimentally.
We have constructed a near-infrared hyperspectral S3 imager consisting of a circularly polarized broadband light source, a liquid crystal polarization grating, and a commercial hyperspectral camera. The circular polarization diffraction efficiency of the polarization grating was over 99 percent at 1550 nm. This imager is capable of obtaining both hyperspectral circular polarization distributions and conventional hyperspectral images. Using the S3 hyperspectral imager, we demonstrated the classification of plastic samples with a deep learning algorithm, which can be applied to waste classification in recycling plants.
In this presentation, we propose a scheme for a polarized beam steering system using multiply-cascaded rotating PGs with biaxial anisotropy. Our scheme can steer the polarized beam along both a Lissajous orbit and raster orbit, depending on the synchronization of the rotation frequencies of the PGs. Also, the use of more than two PGs allows us to control the center position of the Lissajous orbit. In addition, by using biaxial anisotropy, the diffraction efficiency and the ellipticity of the steered beam remain almost unchanged during PG rotation. Our beam steering system will apply to LiDAR and laser display.
In recent years, vector beam (VB)-based optical multiplexing communication is attracting attention to increase the information transfer capacity, and hence several types of VB demultiplexers fabricated by using liquid crystals have been reported. In this presentation, we propose a crossed-fork-shaped polarization grating (CFPG) as a new VB demultiplexer. The CFPG was fabricated by recording multiple polarization holograms onto the photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystal. Recorded each polarization hologram works individually to act as a VB detector, which converts specific VB into a Gaussian beam with diffraction. The CFPG has the potential to miniaturize the demultiplexer because several VB detection functions can be integrated. VB detection between radial and azimuthal polarizations also demonstrated by using a pair of quarter-wave PG and normal-FPG.
In recent year, optical and polarization vortex (OV and PV) beams, which has phase and polarization singularities, have much-attracted attention in various research fields due to their unique physical properties. In this presentation, we report our attempts for the vortex beam generation based on the photo-alignment technique of functionalized liquid crystal polymers. The OV and PV beam generations are respectively demonstrated by using azo-dye-doped liquid crystal polymers and photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystal. Our approaches realize highly functionalized vortex beam generators which are expected to evolve the photonics applications of vortex beams.
In the present presentation, we report the experimentally and theoretically investigated spatial wavefront conversion properties of an optical vortex (OV) generation system including azo-dye doped liquid crystal (ADDLC) polymer composite and vector beam illuminator, focusing on the abilities of flexibility and achromaticity. Threedimensional anisotropic structure was induced by recording vector beam in ADDLC and it can convert a polarized Gaussian beam into polarized OVs whose topological charge is depending on the structure of anisotropy. The photo-induced anisotropic structure can be re-initialized by turning it off and changing the illuminating polarization pattern of vector beam. Numerical simulations and experimental results showed that our anisotropic structure can generate OV with broadband spectrum.
Polarization is one of the important parameters of the light wave. Diffractive elements, which can control the polarization, have been attracted as high-performance light control device. We have implemented various studies on the formation method and the diffraction characteristics of the anisotropic diffractive element using a photoreactive material. Photocross linkable polymer liquid crystal (PCLC) is an attractive material that can induce anisotropy along the polarization direction of linearly polarized ultraviolet light (LPUV). Also, owing to its relatively large anchoring strength, PCLC have been used as an alignment film of low-molar-mass liquid crystal (LC). Galvanometer scanners (GS) can freely control the exposure position of the laser beam by adjusting the two mirrors, it is possible to form a highly functionalized optical element by drawing the arbitrary exposure lines to the photo-reactive material with temporally changing the polarization state of the laser beam. In this study, we report the polarization drawing method based on GS for the fabrication of anisotropic diffractive optical elements. First, the two types anisotropic diffractive optical elements were fabricated on the PCLC films. To investigate the diffraction properties of fabricated anisotropic diffractive optical elements, we used a polarized He-Ne laser beam as probe and observed diffracted lights. Diffracted beam was twodimensionally emitted depending on the formed anisotropic optical distribution. Then we fabricated LC cell, which works as polarization dependent anisotropic Fresnel lens. The experimental investigations show that it has functions of light condensing and polarization control. From these results, high-performance light control device can be fabricated by the polarization drawing method.
Liquid crystal grating with three-dimensionally modulated anisotropic structure is fabricated by one-step exposure of an empty glass cell whose inner walls are coated with photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystals to four-beam polarization interference UV beams. The diffraction properties were probed with a 633 nm wavelength laser and a 532 nm wavelength laser which were the coaxial incident. The novel properties, which diffraction directions are threedimensionally different depending on the wavelengths, are realized by the resultant liquid crystal grating. Furthermore, the resultant liquid crystal grating can be also applied to an advanced polarizing beam splitter which opposite circular polarization and linear polarizations are diffracted simultaneously. These diffraction properties were well-explained by Jones calculus. The resultant liquid crystal grating has the plural of the functions of optical elements such as wave plates, polarization beam splitter, dichroic beam splitter, Wollaston/Rochon prism, and tunable wavelength filter. Therefore, the resultant liquid crystal grating can contribute to miniaturization, sophistication, and cost reduction of optical systems using for, such as optical measurement, communication, and information processing.
In this paper, we reported novel liquid-crystalline luminophore that switches its photoluminescent color by mechanically grinding. Mechanochromic luminescence (MCL) is expected for mechanical sensor, cellular imaging, detection of microenvironmental changes, and optical memory. In this work, we focused on liquid-crystalline MCL compounds on alignment layer. Controlling the molecular alignment of MCL compounds with photoalignment layer have potential to succeed in functional MCL film such as polarized micropatterned MCL and directional detection of mechanical stimuli. Herein, we prepared asymmetric rodlike MCL compounds containing cyano- and pyridyl molecular terminal and explored their photoluminescence behavior under mechanical stimulus. The cyano terminated compound showed a nematic phase and tuned its photoluminescent color from green to yellow upon grinding, while the pyridyl-terminated compounds that show no mesophase changed its photoluminescent color from blue to green and reverted to its initial color by heating above its melting point. The cyano-terminated MCL was aligned along the orientation direction of photoalignment layer and pyridyl-terminated MCL exhibited uniaxial alignment when it coated on photoaligned film containing carboxylic acid.
This paper demonstrates formation of surface relief (SR) gratings and crossed SR gratings with molecularly oriented
structure using photo-cross-linkable liquid crystalline copolymer films by means of holographic exposure of 325 nm He-
Cd laser beams combined with linearly polarized (LP) UV light. For the intensity holography using He-Cd laser, SR
gratings were formed after annealing the exposed films, where the molecular migration from the lower to the higherexposed
region occurred. The reorientational part and SR height were dependent on degree of the photoreaction. When
the exposure doses were low, molecular reorientation at the convex region was generated. In contrast, higher exposing
doses resulted in the molecular reorientation at the concave area. The resulting gratings showed polarization sensitivity
for diffraction efficiencies of the probe light beam according to the molecularly reorientation direction. Furthermore,
multi-holographic exposure yielded crossed SR gratings with reoriented structure according the polarization direction of
He-Cd laser beams, which exhibited multi-functional diffractions. Furthermore, when combining the multi-holographic
exposure and the unidirectional LPUV light exposure, crossed SR grating with multi-directionally oriented film structure
was generated., where the whole area was reoriented.
Photoinduced reorientation of a copolymer liquid crystal (CPLC) and an alignment behavior of low-molecular-weight liquid crystals (LCs) on the resultant film are described. Adjusting the exposure energy of a linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light and the subsequent annealing control the reorientation direction of copolymer films both perpendicular and parallel to the polarization (E) of LPUV light, and the LCs align along the reorientation direction of the mesogenic groups of the CPLC film. In contrast, LCs align perpendicular to E of the LPUV light regardless of the exposure doses when using a copolymer film without annealing because non-reacted mesogenic groups control the alignment of the LC molecules. When the fabricated LC cell is annealed near the glass transition temperature of the CPLC film, the LC alignment behavior changes similar to that using the annealed film, where the reorientation of the mesogenic groups of the alignment layer in contact with the LC materials is generated. Since the LC alignment direction can be controlled both parallel and perpendicular to E, a new type of pure polarization grating with periodical LC alignment direction is demonstrated using a LC cell. The conversion of the polarization of diffracted light beams as well as a transmitted light beam is observed and the diffraction efficiency is 18%. These optical properties of the polarization grating exhibit a good agreement with the theoretical calculation.
We have demonstrated the two types of applications in the field of the optical information processing by using the photorefractive mesogenic composite consisting of a mixture of three components including a functionalized copolymer, a low-molar-mass liquid crystal, and sensitizing dye. One of the applications is to amplify the two-dimensional optical image by means of the Fourier transform geometry with the two-beam coupling optical system. The other is to enhance the edge of the optical image using Fourier transform holographic geometry. We calculated the expected images on the basis of the Fourier transform optics and the photorefractive properties of the mesogenic composite, and obtained good agreement with the observed images and the theoretical expectation.
New optical birefringent film for liquid crystal display (LCD) is described using composite materials consisting of photo-cross-linkable polymer liquid crystal (PLC) and photoreactive bifunctional monomers. The alignment of mesogenic groups in both PLC and monomers was achieved by irradiation with linearly polarized ultraviolet (LPUV) light and subsequent annealing. Axis-selective photo-cross-linking reaction of the mesogenic group in the PLC occurred by exposure with LPUV light, although the induced birefringence was very small. The annealing process generates a thermal reorientation of monomers in a direction parallel to the photo-cross-linked mesogenic groups, resulting in a reversion of the orientation direction and thermal enhancement of the alignment of the film. Since the orientation direction is parallel to the polarization direction of LPUV light, three-dimensional orientation can be feasible by oblique irradiation with LPUV light, and the angle of the molecular orientation is controlled by changing the exposure angle. By the use of this optical birefringent film, the improvement of the viewing characteristics of twisted-nematic (TN) LCD is demonstrated.
The high efficient optical phase conjugation was successfully observed in a photorefractive mesogenic composite. The photorefractive mesogenic composite consists of a functionalized copolymer, low-molar-mass liquid crystal mixture (E7) and 2-4-7-trinitro-9-fruorenone (TNF) as a sensitizing dye. Experiments of optical phase conjugation were carried out under the degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) configuration using a frequency-doubled Nd-YAG laser of 532 nm (on-resonant) or a He-Ne laser of 633 nm (off-resonant). The refractive index modulation was estimated to be around 2.5 X 10-3 from the phase conjugate reflectance on the basis of the coupled wave theory including the absorption loss of the photorefractive media.
Photorefractive polymer-dissolved liquid crystal composites (PDLCCs) were investigated for use in real time holography. Our photorefractive materials consist of a functionalized copolymer, low-molar-mass liquid crystal mixture (E7) and 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fruorenone (TNF) as a sensitizing dye. The copolymer consists of mesogenic 4-cyanobenzoate and N- carbazoyl side groups and made charge-transfer complexes by adding TNF molecules, which is favorable for photoconductive effects. Since the copolymer has mesogenic side groups, E7 can dissolve the copolymer without phase separation and the resulting PDLCCs show the mesophase. The holographic gratings were created by means of the frequency-doubled YAG laser (532 nm) and the diffracted intensity was monitored with the He-Ne laser (633 nm). The high diffraction efficiency of 39% was achieved with a grating constant of 2.6 micrometer and an applied dc field of 0.3 V/micrometer.
We report orientational photorefractive effects observed in photoconductive liquid crystals (LCs) contained with three kinds of polymer, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SLCP1). The morphology of the photorefractive composites depended on the kind of polymer strongly. In both PMMA and PVA cases, LC and polymer were phase-separated and the composite showed memory effects. In SLCP1 case, the phase-separation in the composite dose not occur and the high resolution could be achieved. In this case, the photorefractive Bragg gratings were generated and a high two-beam coupling gain coefficient with a low applied field of 4 V/micrometers was observed.
Polymethacrylate copolymers, containing non-linear optically active 4'-dialkylamino-4-nitro- azobenzene side groups and crosslinkable 2-butenyl side groups have been studied. Films of these copolymers can be thermally crosslinked at elevated temperatures and photochemically crosslinked by exposure with UV light; both methods allow the control of the crosslinking density. In situ second harmonic generation (SHG) of a Nd-YAG laser (1.064 micrometers ) while poling was used to study films with different degrees of pre-crosslinking. A pre-crosslinking step, prior to the corona poling step, can be applied to optimize alignment and relaxation of the chromophores. Depending on the conditions of pre-crosslinking, the SHG signal intensity and the alignment stability can be maximized.
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