Tuesday, 4 July 2006 - 12:00 AM
DEVIP-5

Photonic crystals based on polymer-dispersed liquid crystals and applications

Andy Y.-G. Fuh1, Shing-Trong Wu1, and M.-S. Lee2. (1) Dept. of Physics, and Institute of Electro-optical Science and Eng,, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd.,, Tainan, 701, Taiwan, (2) Institute of Electro-optical Science and Eng., National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd.,, Tainan, Taiwan

The superprism and lasing devices were demonstrated using holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) films. The HPDLC film for superprism application was designed and fabricated using three coplanar beams. The fabricated HPDLC film contained two-dimensional (2D) ordered nano-sized LC domains (~150nm in diameter) embedded in a polymer matrix; its periodicity was estimated using a scanning electron microscope to be ~350nm. The dispersion of white light from this HPDLC superprism was ~50°, and the deflection of light output from it was consistent with the theoretical value obtained by the plane wave expansion method. HPDLC for laser application was fabricated using two counter-propagation laser beams similar to those used in standard holography. The structure has a periodicity in the range of optical wavelengths, and reflects light selectively as governed by Bragg reflection. Doped with a laser dye whose emission spectrum overlaps the reflection spectrum of the grating, the HPDLC reflection grating can be lased at the band edges of the reflection band gap. The details of the experiments, results will be reported. The authors would like to thank the National Science Council (NSC) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for financially supporting this research under Contract No. NSC 94-2112-M-006-005.

See more of Posters - Devices and applications
See more of Technical Program

See more of The 21st International Liquid Crystal Conference (July 2 -- 7, 2006)