title: High-damage-threshold static laser beam shaping using optically patterned liquid-crystal devices.
abstract: Beam shaping of coherent laser beams is demonstrated using liquid crystal (LC) cells with optically patterned pixels. The twist angle of a nematic LC is locally set to either 0 or 90° by an alignment layer prepared via exposure to polarized UV light. The two distinct pixel types induce either no polarization rotation or a 90° polarization rotation, respectively, on a linearly polarized optical field. An LC device placed between polarizers functions as a binary transmission beam shaper with a highly improved damage threshold compared to metal beam shapers. Using a coumarin-based photoalignment layer, various devices have been fabricated and tested, with a measured single-shot nanosecond damage threshold higher than 30 J/cm2.
authors: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623-1299, USA. cdorrer@lle.rochester.edu
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dorrer
authors: S K-H
authors: SK
authors: Wei
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Leung
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Vargas
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Wegman
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Boulé
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Zhao
authors: K L
authors: KL
authors: Marshall
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Chen