Affiliation:
1. HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics
2. University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
3. South China Normal University
4. Harbin Institute of Technology
Abstract
Light polarization rotations, created by applied optical field, are examined experimentally and theoretically in a photosensitive chiral nematic fluid. The polarization rotation of the transmitted beam is initiated by illuminating the sample with uniform UV light. The operation is tunable and reversible, depending on the UV intensity. It was revealed that the rotations can be ascribed to the optical-field-induced chirality effect, where the helical structure in chiral nematics changes in accordance with the UV intensity. The evolution of the helical structure as well as its effect on the light polarization upon illumination by uniform UV light have been monitored experimentally and compared by calculations based on the continuum theory. Our results proved that a polarization field with specific characteristics can be achieved using the remote and precise optical control.
Funder
Hungarian National Research
Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Plan
Grantová Agentura České Republiky
National Key Research and Development Program of China
Guangzhou Science and Technology Program key projects
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology