Title :
Dye-doped photorefractive liquid crystals for dynamic and storage holographic grating formation and spatial light modulation
Author :
Khoo, Iam Choon ; Shih, Min-Yi ; Wood, Michael ; Guenther, Brett D. ; Chen, Pao Hsu ; Simoni, Francesco ; Slussarenko, Sergei S. ; Francescangeli, Oriano ; Lucchetti, Liana
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA, USA
fDate :
11/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The basic mechanisms of photo-induced space charge field formation, director axis re-orientation, and refractive index changes in fullerene C60- and dye-doped nematic liquid crystals films are presented. In particular, in aligned methyl-red-doped nematic liquid crystal film, we observe a nonlinear index change coefficient as high as 10 cm2/W, associated with purely optically induced liquid crystal director axis re-orientation. Experimental observations of dynamic and high-resolution storage holographic grating formation, two beam coupling with gain of nearly 3000 cm-1, optical limiting action at nanowatt cw laser power, and incoherent-coherent image conversion at μW/cm2 light intensity level are discussed
Keywords :
dyes; holographic gratings; holographic storage; liquid crystal devices; multiwave mixing; nematic liquid crystals; optical films; refractive index; space charge; spatial light modulators; C; aligned methyl-red-doped nematic liquid crystal film; director axis re-orientation; dye-doped nematic liquid crystals films; dye-doped photorefractive liquid crystals; dynamic holographic grating formation; dynamic storage holographic grating formation; fullerene C60-doped nematic liquid crystals films; high-resolution storage holographic grating formation; incoherent-coherent image conversion; light intensity level; nanowatt cw laser power; nonlinear index change coefficient; optical limiting action; photo-induced space charge field formation; purely optically induced liquid crystal director axis re-orientation; refractive index changes; spatial light modulation; storage holographic grating formation; two beam coupling; Holographic optical components; Holography; Image storage; Liquid crystals; Nonlinear optics; Optical films; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Photorefractive materials; Space charge;
Journal_Title :
Proceedings of the IEEE
