Diffraction and Polarization Properties of Electrically–Tunable Nematic Liquid Crystal Grating

• Main Authors: Shuan-Yu Huang, Bing-Yau Huang, Chi-Chung Kang, Chie-Tong Kuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: diffraction; polarization; nematic liquid crystal; grating; the first-order diffraction
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/9/1929

This work demonstrates an electrically-tunable nematic liquid crystal (NLC) diffraction grating with a periodic electrode structure, and discusses the polarization properties of its diffraction. The efficiency of the first-order diffraction can be gradually controlled by applying external electric fields cross the NLC, and the maximum diffraction efficiency of the first-order diffraction that can be obtained is around 12.5% under the applied voltage of 5.0 V. In addition to the applied electric field, the efficiency of the first-order diffraction can also vary by changing the polarized state of the incident beam. Antisymmetric polarization states with symmetrical intensities in the diffractions corresponding to the +1 and −1 order diffraction signals are also demonstrated.