Polarization dynamics of an ordinary light wave interacting with a nematic liquid crystal

Abstract

Abstract Experimental observations and theoretical calculations of the interaction of an ordinary light wave with a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal (NLC) are presented. It was observed that by increasing the light power, aperiodic, damped, periodic and stochastic oscillations of the polarization of the light wave take place. Theoretically, the self-consistent problem of the interaction of the director of a homeotropic NLC with a plane light wave of ordinary type was treated and the change in the polarization state of the transmitted-light wave was calculated. Calculations reproduced the existence of aperiodic, damped and periodic oscillations, in qualitative agreement with the experimental results.