title: Complex liquid crystal alignments accomplished by Talbot self-imaging.
abstract: We introduce Talbot self-imaging into photoalignment technique to record Talbot carpet into an LC cell. Through the design of the setup, different images are presented on a single sample. By taking a simple 1D grating mask as an example, an LC cell with complex alignment structures applicable as Mach-Zehnder interferometer arrays is demonstrated. Further mask design permits feasibility of various structures which are practicable for many applications. This method may facilitate the fabrication of photonic applications such as optical communication, computing and sensing, etc.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Xi-kui
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Bing-yan
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xiao-wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chigrinov
authors.forename: Yan-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D007368:Interferometry / Q000379:methods*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*