All-optical self-induced polarization switching by two-wave mixing in nematic liquid crystalline films and waveguides-from visible to infrared

Self-induced polarization switching phenomena in nematic liquid crystal films are studied using lasers from the visible to the infrared regime. A complete quantitative analysis of the steady state process and experimental confirmation of the stimulated orientational scattering in nematic liquid crystal where a weak scattered noise grows into a strong signal via some optical wave mixing effect is presented. The dependence of the conversion efficiency, oscillation threshold, intensity dependence and the dependence on the state of polarization of the input pump beam and other optical and liquid crystalline parameters are also presented.