Spectropolarimetric skin imaging is becoming an attractive technique for early detection of skin cancer. Using two liquid crystal retarders in combination with a dual-band passive spectral filter and two linear polarizers, we demonstrate the spectral and polarimetric imaging of skin tissue in the near infrared. Based on this concept, a compact prototype module has been built and is being used for clinical evaluation.

The ability of liquid crystals (LCs) to flow and fill nanopores assists in using them for infiltration into porous nanophotonic structures such as nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS). The reflectivity spectra at normal incidence from periodic nanostructured nanoPS filters infiltrated with nematic LC is found to exhibit polarization dependence. This is experimental evidence that the LC molecules in the nanoPS matrix are aligned such that an effective anisotropy exists parallel to the substrate plane. From the theoretical fit the preferred configuration was found to be the planar-polar geometry which is shown to be biaxial.