Abstract
Using both direct mathematical analysis and numerical modeling based on the predictions by Jones [1] it is shown that if the director in a liquid crystal cell is in a plane which lies at 45 degrees to the incident polarization, then, for normally incident light, the transmission signal which conserves polarization will always have a phase difference of pi/2 from the transmission signal of the orthogonal polarization. This is independent of the director profile in the plane, the cell thickness, the anisotropy of the liquid crystal refractive index and the optical parameters of other isotropic layers in the cell. Based on this realization a hybrid aligned nematic liquid crystal cell has been tested as a thresholdless voltage-controlled polarization rotator. By using a quarter-wave plate to compensate for the phase difference between the two orthogonal output polarizations a simple liquid crystal spatial light modulator has been realized.
Highlights
Spatial light modulators (SLM) are very important optical devices finding use in areas such as optical image processing, adaptive optics and optical communication etc
By comparison with phase and amplitude liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) rather little work has been presented on polarization LC-SLMs, commercial liquid crystal polarization rotators have been realized
In addition it is important that the intensity of the output is not modulated with the polarization. The essentials of such a device have previously been reported through the use of a parallel aligned liquid crystal cell sandwiched between two quarter-wave plates [11]
Summary
Spatial light modulators (SLM) are very important optical devices finding use in areas such as optical image processing, adaptive optics and optical communication etc. Crucial to all that follows, is that these two output components will always have a phase difference of π/2, as was predicted by Jones [1] in the case of a single uniform block This phase difference is totally independent of the director profile in the plane, the cell thickness, the anisotropy of the liquid crystal index or the optical parameters of other isotropic layers in the cell. We present results for a single quarter-wave plate rotator with a parallelaligned liquid crystal cell as the active electro-optical component In this case the director tilt angle only varies through the cell when an external electric field applied. Matrix which allows a more thorough treatment of the optical properties of the system than is achievable through the use of the Jones matrix method used previously
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
