Self-activated liquid-crystal cells with photovoltaic substrates.
We show that photovoltaic fields are capable of efficiently reorienting liquid crystals, leading to new concepts of optically addressable light modulators. Using an arrangement consisting of a liquid-crystal layer between LiNbO3:Fe photovoltaic substrates, we observed spatial filtering due to self-phase modulation in a planar-oriented cell and nonlinear transmission between crossed polarizers in a twist-oriented cell. These processes do not require an external electric field. The substrates are arranged such that light propagates along the +c axis in each substrate, allowing a secondary process of power transfer to occur through contradirectional photorefractive two-beam coupling.
Carns
Jennifer L
JL
Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, USA.
Cook
Gary
G
Saleh
Mohammad A
MA
Serak
Svetlana V
SV
Tabiryan
Nelson V
NV
Evans
Dean R
DR