偏振光下向列相液晶(5CB∶C_(60))取向光折变特性的研究

通过实验研究了外加电场对C60掺杂的向列相液晶(5CB)的取向光折变特性及水平和竖直偏振光对样品二波耦合和自相位调制现象的影响。通过测量样品的增益系数和光束耦合率可以看出,在水平偏振光照射下两束透射光有较强的能量转移而在垂直偏振光照射时几乎观察不到明显的能量耦合现象。可见,液晶盒中的分子取向与光束的偏振方向有很强的依赖关系。     

偏振光下向列相液晶(5CB:C60)取向光折变特性的研究

通过实验研究了外加电场对C60掺杂的向列相液晶(5CB)的取向光折变特性及水平和竖直偏振光对样品二波耦合和自相位调制现象的影响。通过测量样品的增益系数和光束耦合率可以看出，在水平偏振光照射下两束透射光有较强的能量转移而在垂直偏振光照射时几乎观察不到明显的能量耦合现象。可见，液晶盒中的分子取向与光束的偏振方向有很强的依赖关系。     

基于液晶的偏振转换器数值模拟研究

进行了液晶可变相位延迟器相位调制特性的数值计算。利用Jones矩阵法推导了三片式、方位角分别为0°,45°和0°的可变相位延迟器组成的偏振转换器Jones矩阵表示形式。利用该矩阵计算了电控液晶偏振转换器偏振调制,计箅结果用Poincare图示法表示、结果表明利用该三片式偏振转换器可以实现全范围偏振态调节,且可以实现任意...     

液晶空间光调制器的斜入射特性

对液晶空间光调制器(LC-SLM)在读出光斜入射下的理论进行了推导,建立了读出光斜入射时液晶空间光调制器的理论模型,并进行了模拟计算。以正入射时液晶空间光调制器的电压—输出光强的关系,推导出液晶空间光调制器在不同调制电压下液晶分子的转角,从而进一步计算相位差。结果表明,随着入射角的增加,液晶层的相位调制深度逐渐减小;随着分子倾角的减小,相位调制深度逐渐升高,即随着写入光的增强,加到液晶层两端的电压增加;随着入射角的增加,读出光强的初相位逐渐减小,但该初相位值并不大,即使在入射角10°下达到最大,也仅为0．21π。计算结果与实验数据相吻合。     

光定域化蓝相软晶格结构的光学应用

实验利用表面光取向技术控制蓝相晶格的有序生长,将光定域化取向与分子自组装相结合。通过对基板表面进行交替的取向/非取向控制,平面内获得周期排列的微结构,使蓝相图形化结构的反射光强度在空间上形成周期性调制,同时设计制备了振幅型衍射器件;通过对基板表面做正交取向方向交替排列的微结构,使蓝相图形化结构的反射光相位在空间上形成周期性调制,设计制备了相位型衍射器件。这两类衍射器件均具有对入射光的波段选择性,即只有当入射光的波长局域在蓝相的反射带时才会呈现衍射效应。蓝相液晶软物质的特性又赋予它在电场下可调谐的波段选择性,即反射带位置随电场的增加发生红移从532nm到610nm,电场撤除则回复到初始状态。同时,借助于光取向材料的光可擦写特性,蓝相晶格的取向微结构能够重复的擦写与重构,从而实现不同衍射器件乃至不同衍射调制方式的转换。     

用于测量和调控入射光偏振态的大面积阵列液晶器件

介绍了一种通过改变电极上的驱动电压来测量和调控入射光偏振态的液晶器件,同时模拟了该器件的液晶分子指向矢分布。众所周知,液晶分子的倾斜角较容易控制,却常忽视其扭曲角同样可以被调控。所以,液晶材料能够用作可变化、可转动的相位延迟器,这样就可以实现用同一器件结构测量入射光偏振态,随后调控该入射光偏振态。模拟了在十字结构电极下液晶层的指向矢分布,表明扭曲角可被电控,同时也说明将入射光偏振态调控到任意偏振态是可以实现的。     

液晶偏振变焦透镜组合设计

具有可变焦能力的透镜在成像、传感和检测等领域扮演着重要角色。本文通过研究液晶偏振透镜的光学特性,设计出多点变焦的液晶偏振透镜变焦系统。液晶偏振透镜是一种利用液晶分子指向矢(光学各向异性轴)特定的空间排列,产生特定几何相位差从而达到波前控制效果的光学器件,对于左/右旋圆偏振光分别表现为正/负透镜效果。利用液晶偏振透镜的偏振特性及液晶分子受电场调制的性质,本文设计出由一片普通正透镜、一片可调谐液晶波片和两片液晶偏振透镜组成的液晶偏振变焦透镜组合,在特定的偏振入射光下,可以实现7个焦距的改变。同时,通过优化透镜焦距、间隔等参数,可以使变焦透镜组合实现等间隔变焦等功能。实验结果显示,在633nm圆偏振光下,利用自主制备的液晶偏振透镜组成的液晶偏振变焦透镜组合系统成功实现了7个焦距的变焦功能,同时变焦距离基本符合预期且部分焦距(前6个)实现了等间隔分布,充分验证了利用液晶偏振透镜实现多点变焦的可行性。     

一种新型液晶退偏振器的研究

为了消除入射光的偏振态变化对相干系统的负面影响,一种有效的方法就是对入射光进行退偏处理.利用液晶随着液晶分子取向的偏转,光沿z轴传播的折射率n发生变化的特性,可通过改变外加电压可以任意控制液晶各点的偏振态,从而能够实现任意偏振输出.报道了一种由两片液晶片组合而成的新型单色退偏振器,理论研究了利用液晶的偏振特性对单色光进行退偏原理.实验结果表明,这种退偏振器对入射光偏振方向不敏感,可对任意偏振态或偏振态随时间变化的连续或者脉冲入射单色光进行完全退偏.可用于惯性约束聚变激光驱动器光纤前端系统中以消除偏振变化对系统的影响.     

利用光脉冲传输特性抑制偏振模色散

基于双折射光纤中光脉冲传输方程,详细分析了二阶色散、自相位调制以及交叉相位调制在光脉冲传输过程中引起的啁啾。分析结果显示:通过合理选取入射功率,二阶色散引起的啁啾与自相位调制引起的啁啾在脉冲中心附近可以相互抵消,从而使脉冲展宽最小;交叉相位调制产生的两偏振分量的啁啾引起的频移,可使两偏振分量间产生互束缚,利用这种现象可以抑制偏振模色散。     

平面胆甾相液晶光学双稳性元件

我们首次从实验上证实了平面胆甾相液晶元件的光学双稳性和自脉动现象。 利用小功率(5mW)He-Ne激光(6328A)详细研究了光场感应分子再取向动力学、相移相位光栅的形成和液晶元件的制作方法。当光强约为10W/cm~2时,我们成功地观察到双稳鱼形衍射花样和自脉动现象,脉动周期约为1s。液晶元件厚度约50μm。     

斜入射下液晶偏振光栅衍射特性研究

为了表征光束倾斜入射下液晶偏振光栅的衍射特性，提出了液晶偏振光栅斜入射角度-驱动电压-衍射效率的三维模型建模方法。该方法利用吉布斯自由能方程，求解液晶分子指向矢，得到驱动电压与液晶分子倾斜角的表达式，推导出斜入射角度与相位延迟量之间的关系，结合扩展琼斯矩阵表征不同入射角度下液晶偏振光栅的透过率，通过矢量衍射理论，建立了斜入射角度-驱动电压-衍射效率的三维模型。该模型不仅可以定量求解不同斜入射角度下液晶偏振光栅衍射效率，而且能够实现衍射效率最优时驱动电压的标定。通过仿真分析和实验对该模型的有效性进行了验证，结果表明:光束入射角度从0°倾斜到10°时，最优驱动电压由2.2 V降低到2.0 V，液晶偏振光栅衍射效率从85%下降到78%；光束入射角度从0°倾斜到?10°时，最优驱动电压由2.2 V升高到2.4 V，液晶偏振光栅衍射效率从85%下降到74%。     

Optically-induced molecular reorientation in nematic liquid crystals and nonlinear optical processes in the nanoseconds regime

We present a detailed theoretical analysis and experimental study of purely optically-induced nematic axis reorientation and the associated nonlinear optical processes such as self-phase modulations and optical switching. It is shown that under a sufficiently intense laser field (∼ 100 MW/cm²), nematic liquid crystals will respond in the nanosecond regime. Single nanosecond laser pulse self-phase modulation and intensity switching effects are observed. The magnitude and dynamics of the response are in agreement with theoretical expectations. Optical power limiting and switching effects associated with self-phase modulations are also demonstrated.     

向列相液晶中高阶衍射图像的特性

研究了垂直排列C60掺杂的向列相液晶(5CB)记录光折变光栅衍射像的特性。利用二波耦合实验,以较小入射角的信号光束与参考光束在样品中干涉并形成光折变光栅。在远离样品的观察屏上可观察到高阶衍射像。对衍射像进行分析发现,信号光一侧的二阶衍射像被放大,而在参考光一侧的负一阶衍射虽没放大,但产生了180°旋转,理论分析与实验观察结果非常吻合。     

Tunable Polarization Properties of Hybrid-Guiding Liquid-Crystal Photonic Crystal Fibers

Tunable polarization properties in hybrid-guiding photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with nematic liquid-crystalline materials are theoretically investigated, both in the case of uniform switching of the liquid crystal molecules and for realistic nematic director patterns. It is demonstrated that the bandgap formation mechanism and the modal transmission properties in such fibers offer the possibility for electrically switchable, wavelength-selective single-polarization and/or zero to extremely high-birefringence guidance.     

Poincaré Sphere Method for Optimizing the Phase Modulation Response of a Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Display

We report an experimental procedure for achieving spatial modulation of the phase of an input wave field with an off-the-shelf twisted nematic liquid crystal display. This method involves illumination of an addressed liquid crystal display (LCD) with circularly polarized light and measurement of the Stokes parameters of the outgoing beam as the applied voltage is changed. The analysis of the distribution of the polarization states in the S₁-S₂ plane suggests a simple way to optimize the liquid crystal phase response by means of a properly oriented quarter wave-plate followed by an analyzer. Laboratory results for a commercial display are presented. A phase modulation depth of 240deg is obtained at 514 nm with a residual intensity variation which is lower than 4%     

液晶空间光调制器与相干光波前实时变换

介绍了一种利用纯相位调制液晶空间光调制器进行波前相位实时变换的方法,可将相干平面波变换成任意期望的波前。该方法采用由伪随机编码产生初始相位矩阵的相位恢复优化算法,从期望的远场衍射图形得到液晶空间光调制器所在衍射面的相位分布,当单色相干平面波通过液晶空间光调制器时,利用液晶空间光调制器纯相位调制特性复现该相位分布,在远场产生期望的衍射图形。实验验证了上述波前实时变换的可行性。     

Liquid crystal applications in photonics

We developed new optical switches based on nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystal (LC) cells for photonics applications. Certain new LC switches based on the effect of total internal reflection in nematic LC and deformed helix ferroelectric effect ferroelectric LC with very fast response time were developed. Fast bistable optical switches of the light polarization based on ferroelectric liquid crystal cells were proposed. The switches are characterized by 100 us switching time and 26 dB crosstalk at the wavelength of 632.8 nm and bistable, i.e., required zero power consumption in the switch state.High frequency hysteretic free electrically controlled 0-2π phase modulation of light has been proposed using a very short helix pitch (less than 400 nm) deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal. The electrically controlled 0-2π hysteretic free phase modulation was achieved at the driving voltage frequency up to 4 kHz and the voltage amplitude of 32 V. The application of fast V-shaped deformed helix ferroelectric ferroelectric LC (DHF-FLC) for new active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) and optical data processing devices is envisaged.Photoalignment technology can be very useful for the new generation of liquid crystal devices as well as in new photovoltaic, optoelectronic and photonic devices based on highly ordered thin organic layers. We have investigated the LC photoalignment in superthin tubes, which are basic elements of switchable photonic crystal/liquid crystal structures and obtained the order parameter comparable with usual homogeneous nematic LC cells. We studied LC alignment on silicon surfaces with submicrometer-sized straight and curved waveguide profiles. The liquid crystal cladding refractive index was then varied according to the applied voltage, and subsequently the microresonator resonance wavelengths were tuned. Based on our initial measurements, the free spectral range (FSR) wavelength shift within the range of 20 nm was obtained, which is comparable with a thermooptic effect. The new voltagecontrollable Si-based add drop filters are envisaged based on this principle.     

基于向列相液晶弹性各向异性偏振光栅结构方位锚定能的理论研究

通过设计上下基板向列相液晶分子排列构建偏振光栅结构模型,并根据向列相液晶Frank弹性理论计算其方位锚定能,其理论结果可为实验测量提供有力的理论指导作用。本文根据弹性理论,考虑弹性各向异性计算了偏振光栅结构的方位锚定能,得到了方位锚定能与光栅条纹宽度关系的解析解。弹性各向异性对方位锚定能有着显著影响。由于液晶具有各向异性,考虑弹性各向异性研究方位锚定能是必要的,其结果更具有普遍性。     

激光诱导向列相液晶分子重新取向的研究

用液晶分子运动的动力学方程,求出了激光诱导向列相液晶分子重新取向的取向角、折射率改变、阈值场强和上升时间的近似表达式。讨论了它们随液晶材料参数、激光强度和激光在液晶中传播方向的变化,进行了数值计算。给出了激光能诱导向列相液晶分子重新取向的必备条件,得到向列相液晶的各向异性是其分子重新的取向的根本原因。