Laser beam propagation in nematic liquid crystals at the temperature close to the nematicisotropic critical point.
This study investigates the optical nonlinearity of beam propagation in homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cells at a temperature close to the nematic-isotropic temperature (TNI). The undulate propagation mode with convergent and divergent loops appearing alternately is reported and the thermally enhanced optical reorientation nonlinearity at the focus is described. The optically induced phase transition exists along the pump beam direction. With the application of the conscopic technique, the arrangements of LC at the focus are proposed in this study. Results of this study demonstrate that the evolution of the LC configuration was affected by the pump beam based on the analysis of conoscopic patterns.
Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804,Taiwan, Republic of China.
Yu-Jen
YJ
Chen
Yu-Sung
YS
Lin
I-Min
IM
Jiang
Ming-Shan
MS
Tsai
D003198:Computer Simulation; D007834:Lasers; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013696:Temperature; D044366:Transition Temperature