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Liquid Crystal Optical Phase Modulators for Beam Steering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Jay Stockley
Affiliation:
Boulder Nonlinear Systems Incorporated, 450 Courtney Way, Unit 107 Lafayette, CO 80026, U.S.A.
Xiaowei Xia
Affiliation:
Boulder Nonlinear Systems Incorporated, 450 Courtney Way, Unit 107 Lafayette, CO 80026, U.S.A.
Teresa Ewing
Affiliation:
Boulder Nonlinear Systems Incorporated, 450 Courtney Way, Unit 107 Lafayette, CO 80026, U.S.A.
Steve Serati
Affiliation:
Boulder Nonlinear Systems Incorporated, 450 Courtney Way, Unit 107 Lafayette, CO 80026, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Beamsteering using liquid crystals can be achieved with refractive or diffractive implementations. The common thread in these various structures is that the liquid crystal is employed as an optical phase modulator. Either nematic or smectic liquid crystal phases can be used to shift the phase of light and steer an optical beam. Various liquid crystal optical phase modulating schemes will be described. Examples include polarization independent and quasi-achromatic modulators. Model predictions and experimental results demonstrating the optical phase modulation and beamsteering made possible using different liquid crystal based designs will be presented.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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References

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