Liquid Crystal Photonics

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The inherent anisotropy and excellent adjustability to external stimuli that liquid crystals (LCs) possess enable a multi-dimensional manipulation of light, including light in the space domain, frequency domain and time domain. This unique property promotes the rapid progression of both basic research and related photonic applications. LC photonics is a booming topic in the digital age, and plays increasingly important roles in information displays, phase modulation devices, adaptive optics, planar diffractive optics and light-driven actuators. Liquid crystal photonics includes but is not limited to the following fields:

• New liquid crystal materials and phases (ferroelectric, anti-ferroelectric, cholesteric liquid crystals, blue phases, twist bend phases and ferroelectric nematic phases, etc.);
• Nature-inspired liquid crystal molecules;
• Defects, self-assembly and self-organization;
• Stimuli-responsive liquid crystals and light-driven actuators;
• Photon-induced phase transformation;
• Alignment technology (photo-alignment, micro-rubbing and nano-structured film);
• Information displays (flat panel displays, projectors, augmented and virtual realities, etc.);
• Phase modulation devices and adaptive optics (spatial light modulators, beam deflectors, lenses, filters and LiDAR, etc.);
• Liquid crystal lasers;
• Liquid crystal geometric phase optics and planar diffractive optics;
• LC antenna and LC embedded meta-surfaces, meta-devices;
• Liquid crystal nonlinear optics;
• LC-based topological photonics;
• LC-enabled quantum optics, waveguide and communications;
• LCs in lighting, 3D integral imaging and holography application;
• Smart windows and anti-counterfeiting.

This Topic aims to collect the results of research in relevant areas.

The submission of papers within those areas with a strong connection to optics, photonics, materials, applied physics and engineering is strongly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Wei Hu
Prof. Dr. Zhigang Zheng
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Sciences applsci	2.7	4.5	2011	16.9 Days	CHF 2400
Crystals crystals	2.7	3.6	2011	10.6 Days	CHF 2600
Electronics electronics	2.9	4.7	2012	15.6 Days	CHF 2400
Materials materials	3.4	5.2	2008	13.9 Days	CHF 2600
Photonics photonics	2.4	2.3	2014	15.5 Days	CHF 2400

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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All Applied Sciences Crystals Electronics Materials Photonics

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9 pages, 4216 KiB  

Open AccessCommunication

Encoding the Intensity and Phase Gradient of Light Beams with Arbitrary Shapes

by Alejandra Serrano-Trujillo and Víctor Ruiz-Cortés

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 3192; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13053192 - 02 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1062

Abstract

We present an approach for engineering the intensity trajectory and phase gradient of light beams with arbitrary shapes by estimating their parametric equations using Freeman chain code and by applying the fast Fourier transform. The analysis of the electric field distribution expected for [...] Read more.

We present an approach for engineering the intensity trajectory and phase gradient of light beams with arbitrary shapes by estimating their parametric equations using Freeman chain code and by applying the fast Fourier transform. The analysis of the electric field distribution expected for a given curve allows the phase extraction over each local coordinate, generating a phase pattern to be displayed over a spatial light modulator. The intensity and phase gradient of eight different shapes is encoded during our experiments. The far field intensity profiles are captured and compared in shape to those designed, while the encoded phase is demonstrated by implementing a common path interference setup with a pair of beams from the spatial light modulator. The designed beams, initially drawn either by hand or generated with software, exhibit both the intensity and phase profiles encoded onto them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Liquid Crystal Photonics)

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12 pages, 3395 KiB  

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Light-Induced Self-Oscillations and Spoiling of the Bragg Resonance Due to Nonlinear Optical Propagation in Heliconical Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

by Ashot H. Gevorgyan and Francesco Simoni

Photonics 2022, 9(11), 881; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9110881 - 21 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1696

Abstract

In a recent paper, we have reported the results of a study of the nonlinear light propagation of a beam traveling along the helix direction of a heliconical cholesteric liquid crystal, showing that optical reorientation leads to instabilities in the optical transmission when [...] Read more.

In a recent paper, we have reported the results of a study of the nonlinear light propagation of a beam traveling along the helix direction of a heliconical cholesteric liquid crystal, showing that optical reorientation leads to instabilities in the optical transmission when the light wavelength is close to the Bragg resonance. Here we report a detailed study of this phenomenon, using Ambartsumian’s layer addition modified method to take into account the continuous modification of the wave field during propagation. We show that the whole transmission spectrum is modified by increasing the light intensity and point out that self-induced oscillations take place at lower intensities on the red side edge of the Bragg resonance while stable values of transmittivity are still observed on the blue side edge. A further increase in the intensity leads to oscillations of lower amplitude on the blue side while an irregular behavior of the transmission is achieved on the red side. At higher intensities, the Bragg resonance disappears and transmission becomes unstable for any light wavelength. A simple phenomenological model is proposed to account for the onset of the oscillations and the asymmetry of the behavior at the opposite side of the Bragg resonance. We also point out that the static electric field is a driving parameter to switch from stable to oscillatory to irregular behavior in the transmittivity at a given light wavelength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Liquid Crystal Photonics)

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10 pages, 1601 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

A Principal Approach to the Detection of Radiation-Induced DNA Damage by Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy and Its Dosimetric Application

by Maria A. Kolyvanova, Mikhail A. Klimovich, Alexandr V. Belousov, Vladimir A. Kuzmin and Vladimir N. Morozov

Photonics 2022, 9(11), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9110787 - 23 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1487

Abstract

Using cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersion (CLCD) of DNA, we demonstrate that the molecularly organized systems may be used both for qualitative assessment of the degree of radiation-induced DNA damage, as well as for detection of radiation doses in a very wide range. The doses [...] Read more.

Using cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersion (CLCD) of DNA, we demonstrate that the molecularly organized systems may be used both for qualitative assessment of the degree of radiation-induced DNA damage, as well as for detection of radiation doses in a very wide range. The doses up to 500 Gy do not cause any significant changes in optical signals of DNA in solution. However, when irradiated molecules are used to prepare the CLCD by addition of crowding polymer, a clear correlation of its optical signals with an absorbed dose is observed. For example, at a dose of 500 Gy, a maximum drop in the circular dichroism (CD) signal for DNA solution and for CLCD formed from preliminary irradiated molecules is ≈20% and ≈700%, respectively. This approach can also be used to expand the dosimetric capabilities of DNA CLCD. Compared to the case of irradiation of ready-made DNA CLCD, formation of the dispersed system from irradiated DNA allows to increase its sensitivity by more than 2 orders of magnitude. A similar decrease in the CD signal (≈1.45-fold) is observed in these systems at the doses of 100 kGy and 200 Gy, respectively. This principal approach seems to be relevant for other biomolecules and molecularly organized systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Liquid Crystal Photonics)

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9 pages, 1494 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Efficient Photo-Response of Azobenzene-based Compounds for Holographic Recording

by Tzu-Chien Hsu, Lu-Yu Wang, Fang-Yong Lee and Wei-Hung Su

Crystals 2022, 12(3), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12030397 - 15 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1625

Abstract

One of the challenges for azobenzene-based materials in fabricating rewritable surface relief gratings is the long response time in the procedure of holographic recording, making it inefficient in real-time applications. In this study, a small molecule azobenzene compound with a facile fabrication route [...] Read more.

One of the challenges for azobenzene-based materials in fabricating rewritable surface relief gratings is the long response time in the procedure of holographic recording, making it inefficient in real-time applications. In this study, a small molecule azobenzene compound with a facile fabrication route is presented. By a total recording intensity of 200 mW/cm², a surface relief grating with the modulation depth of 758 nm can be formed in 5 min. The ±1st order diffraction was observed immediately after the holographic recording, and the ±2nd order diffraction was produced in two seconds. Such a short response time makes it possible for use in real-time applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Liquid Crystal Photonics)

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