Surface properties of thin-film polarizers modified by carbon nanostructures

The influence of laser-deposited single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the optical and mechanical properties of iodinated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) polarization films for the visible spectral range is considered. A possible mechanism of the CNT-induced modification of the surface and spectral properties of iodinated PVA films is proposed.     

Erythrocyte induced structurization of a liquid crystal mesophase

The phenomenon of structurization of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) mesophase under the action of introduced non-electrically-neutral biological components is demonstrated for the first time in a system with the charged component represented by human blood erythrocytes. The observed effect is considered as being quite general and not contradicting to the results obtained previously for the structurization of NLCs under the action of fullerene-containing complexes with charge transfer.     

Similarities and differences between the effects of orientation of red blood cells in a nematic liquid-crystal medium and the Fröhlich electrical vibrations

A qualitative explanation is given for the effect wherein red blood cells are oriented in a nonlinear liquid-crystal medium, and it is shown that it is different from the Fröhlich interaction for living biological systems.     

Properties of Optical Ceramics CO1 and CO2 upon Modification of Their Surface by Carbon Nanotubes

Technical Physics Letters - The results of a study of the modification of the properties of optical inorganic materials (optical ceramics CO1 (MgF2) and CO2 (ZnS)) are presented. It is found that...     

The Optical Effect of Light Polarization Plane Rotation in DNA-Containing Materials

Technical Physics Letters - Using the example of DNA water solutions, a manifestation of the light polarization plane rotation effect has been shown (in comparison with a number of dyes). Numerical...     

Study of the dynamic characteristics of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal compositions: Prospects for optoelectronic applications of fullerene complexes with phthalocyanine nanocrystals

The switching and modulation characteristics of fullerene-containing polymer-dispersed liquid crystal structures involving fullerene complexes with magnesium phthalocyanine nanocrystals are studied for the first time. It is established that these systems are characterized by small switching times of the electrooptical response to pulsed drive voltage under the conditions of cw He-Ne laser irradiation. It is suggested that effective charge carrier production in the structures doped with pure phthalocyanine leads to frustration of a homogeneous orientation of the liquid crystal mesophase, which is restored upon adding C₆₀and/or C₇₀ fullerenes. A possible reorientation mechanism is considered and it is shown that fullerene-containing polymer-dispersed liquid crystal systems with distributed orientation related to the presence of fullerene complexes with magnesium phthalocyanine can be used for the effective switching of electrooptical response and have good prospects for application in the systems of optical data processing and in display technologies.     

Optical limitation effect in a cholesteric liquid crystal-fullerene system

An investigation is made of optical limitation in nematochiral liquid crystal composites with added fullerene C₇₀ under conditions such that diffraction suppresses absorption. It is shown that these systems have the lowest energy threshold for nonlinearity yet recorded. A qualitative explanation of the results is put forward. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 66–69 (May 12, 1998)     

The optical attenuation of laser radiation in thin fullerene C70-polyimide films. Effect of fullerenes on the transmission of azide films

The phenomenon of optical attenuation of laser radiation in the visible spectral range was studied in a promising photosensitive medium based on fullerene C₇₀-polyimide films. The effect of fullerenes on the transmission of laser radiation in azide-based systems is demonstrated.     

The effect of fullerenes on the dynamic characteristics of liquid crystal systems

Time and modulation characteristics of the electrically controlled liquid crystal cells (conventional nematic or containing a polymer-dispersed layer) with fullerene-modified orienting coatings are studied as being dependent on the amplitude and repetition rate of applied electric pulses. A substantial decrease in the switching time of the liquid crystal systems with fullerene-containing orienting layers is demonstrated. The effect of data storage controlled by variable electric pulse duration is observed in fullerene-containing polymerdispersed liquid crystal systems.     

Space-time light modulators with improved dynamic characteristics. Fullerenes increase sensitivity of the light modulators

Ways to improve the dynamic characteristics of the space-time light modulators based on a polyimide-liquid crystal structure are considered. Application of a fullerene-containing polyimide increases sensitivity of the system. Characteristics of the polyimide-based light modulators with unmodified and dye-modified photosensitive layers are presented.