Optically induced space-charge fields, dc voltage, and extraordinarily large nonlinearity in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals

We have observed extraordinarily large optical nonlinearity in Methyl Red-doped nematic liquid-crystal film. Grating diffraction can be generated with an optical intensity as low as 40 microW/cm(2) , and a refractive-index change coefficient of more than 6 cm(2)/ W is obtained. The effect is attribu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 1998-02, Vol.23 (4), p.253-255
Main Authors: Khoo, I C, Slussarenko, S, Guenther, B D, Shih, M Y, Chen, P, Wood, W V
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We have observed extraordinarily large optical nonlinearity in Methyl Red-doped nematic liquid-crystal film. Grating diffraction can be generated with an optical intensity as low as 40 microW/cm(2) , and a refractive-index change coefficient of more than 6 cm(2)/ W is obtained. The effect is attributed to formation of an optically induced dc space-charge field and to the resulting reorientation of the highly birefringent nematic director axis.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/ol.23.000253