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Published on: May 15, 2017
Electrically tunable liquid-crystal wave plate in the infrared
Optics Letters
|September 18, 2009
Summary
The phase retardance of an electrically tunable wave plate was measured. Device performance at high light intensities is dominated by thermal effects, not optical reorientation.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Liquid crystals are widely used in tunable optical devices.
- Understanding device performance under high light intensity is crucial for applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phase retardance of a liquid-crystal-based tunable wave plate.
- To determine the influence of voltage and incident light intensity on device performance at 10.6 microm.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Stokes-MacCullaugh ellipsometry for precise phase retardance measurements.
- Varied applied voltage and incident light intensity up to 900 W/cm(2).
Main Results:
- Phase retardance was successfully measured as a function of voltage and light intensity.
- Device performance was found to be primarily influenced by thermal effects.
- Optically induced reorientation effects were not the dominant factor at tested intensities.
Conclusions:
- The performance of this liquid-crystal tunable wave plate at 10.6 microm and high light intensities is governed by thermal mechanisms.
- Thermal effects must be considered in the design and application of such devices under intense illumination.
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