Role of optical extinction in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

Author(s)
Mostafa Ellabban, Martin Bichler, Martin Fally, Irena Drevensek-Olenik
Abstract

The origin of optical diffraction in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (H-PDLC) transmission gratings was investigated by optical two beam-coupling analysis based on the linear phase-shift technique. Gratings with the pitch of 1micrometer and the thickness of 50 micrometers were fabricated from a UV curable mixture of commercially available constituents. Photopolymerization in the interference field of two laser beams produces not only a periodic variation of the refractive index, but also a periodic modulation of optical extinction due to light scattering. Both of them contribute to the diffraction efficiency of the gratings. The magnitudes and relative phases of the two contributions were measured as a function of a recording time of the grating and as a function of an applied external electric field. During the initial stage of the grating formation phase modulation is predominant, while at longer exposures both contributions have the same order of magnitude. They are phase shifted with respect to each other for around pi/2. Application of an external electric field causes a strong decrease of the amplitude modulation, while phase modulation is much less perturbed.

Organisation(s)
Physics of Functional Materials
External organisation(s)
University of Ljubljana
Journal
Proceedings of SPIE
Volume
6587
Pages
1-8
No. of pages
8
ISSN
0277-786X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.723361
Publication date
2007
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103021 Optics
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/role-of-optical-extinction-in-holographic-polymerdispersed-liquid-crystals(b722620e-8ab7-40d1-a9eb-b95e4925b71a).html