A new photoelectric reorientation effect for the realization of highly sensitive photorefraction in liquid crystals

Author

Macdonald, R. ; Meindl, P.

Author_Institution

Opt. Inst., Tech. Univ. Berlin, Germany

fYear

1998

fDate

10-14 Aug 1998

Firstpage

92

Lastpage

94

Abstract

The present investigations concern a new molecular reorientation effect in nematic liquid crystals consisting of discotic molecules. The effect occurs under the combined application of DC-electrical fields and low power optical waves and has a very huge photosensitivity. An illumination with intensities as low as 10^-5 W/cm² is sufficient for a strong photo-induced reorientation process which indicates a rather large nonlinear optical coefficient

Keywords

birefringence; electro-optical effects; molecular reorientation; nematic liquid crystals; nonlinear optics; photorefractive materials; DC-electrical fields; discotic molecules; highly sensitive photorefraction; illumination; large nonlinear optical coefficient; liquid crystals; low power optical waves; molecular reorientation effect; nematic liquid crystals; photoelectric reorientation effect; strong photo-induced reorientation process; very huge photosensitivity; Argon; Birefringence; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Lighting; Liquid crystals; Nonlinear optics; Optical films; Optical sensors; Photorefractive effect;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Nonlinear Optics '98: Materials, Fundamentals and Applications Topical Meeting

Conference_Location

Kauai, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4950-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NLO.1998.710193

Filename

710193