title: Circular polarization interferometry: circularly polarized modes of cholesteric liquid crystals.
abstract: We describe a novel polarization interferometer which permits the determination of the refractive indices for circularly-polarized light. It is based on a Jamin-Lebedeff interferometer, modified with waveplates, and permits us to experimentally determine the refractive indices nL and nR of the respectively left- and right-circularly polarized modes in a cholesteric liquid crystal. Whereas optical rotation measurements only determine the circular birefringence, i.e. the difference (nL - nR), the interferometer also permits the determination of their absolute values. We report refractive indices of a cholesteric liquid crystal in the region of selective (Bragg) reflection as a function of temperature.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Castillo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giesselmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer