Surface-activated photorefractivity and electro-optic phenomena in liquid crystals

    Authors

    N. V. Tabiryan;C. Umeton

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Opt. Soc. Am. B-Opt. Phys.

    Keywords

    LIGHT; Optics

    Abstract

    Surface-localized electromagnetic fields can induce strong reorientation of liquid crystals (LC's), thus making it possible to observe a whole new class of opto-electronic phenomena. We show the feasibility of reorientation of a LC by a spatially inhomogeneous electric field localized on a photorefractive substrate. The modulation of the space-charge density in the plane of the photorefractive substrate generates a component of the electric field, which is normal to the LC layer. The drift of ions enforced by that field can result in a surface-charge modulation pattern that can become permanent owing to adsorption of ions at the boundaries of the LC cell. The obtained results present large fundamental and practical interest for the visualization of surface-localized electric fields and the development of new principles of optical information processing and storage. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.

    Journal Title

    Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics

    Volume

    15

    Issue/Number

    7

    Publication Date

    1-1-1998

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1912

    Last Page

    1917

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000074688700011

    ISSN

    0740-3224

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