Optical Properties of Hybrid Aligned Short Pitch Cholesterics

Abstract

Diffractive optical properties of selective reflection in short pitch cholesterics are considered in the confined geometry with different boundary conditions at upper and lower substrates. The main difference in the intensities of back selective reflection at the opposite interfaces has been detected. Additionally new stable cholesteric textures were found and explored. The asymmetric structure obtained may be used as non-reciprocal dichroic element. A new method for calculation of light propagation in stratified inhomogeneous anisotropic media, where optical properties may vary along three major axis is proposed and applied for continuous distribution function calculation of helical axes within hybrid aligned cholesteric layer.