Multiparameter laser performance characterization of liquid crystals for polarization control devices in the nanosecond regime

Abstract

Interactions of liquid crystals (LC’s) with polarized light have been studied widely and have spawned numerous device applications, including the fabrication of optical elements for high-power and large-aperture laser systems. Currently, little is known about both the effect of incident polarization state on laser-induced–damage threshold (LIDT) and laser-induced functional threshold (LIFT) behavior at sub-LIDT fluences under multipulse irradiation conditions. This work reports on the first study of the nanosecond-pulsed LIDT’s dependence on incident polarization for several optical devices employing oriented nematic and chiral-nematic LC’s oriented by surface alignment layers. Accelerated lifetime testing was also performed to characterize the ability of these devices to maintain their functional performance under multipulse irradiation as a function of the laser fluence at both 1053 nm and 351 nm. Results show that the LIDT varies as a function of input polarization by 30–80% within the same device, while the multipulse LIFT (which can differ from the nominal LIDT) depends on irradiation conditions such as laser fluence and wavelength.

Linear-to-circular polarization conversion with full-silica meta-optics to reduce nonlinear effects in high-energy lasers

“…Full-silica meta-optics offer a very promising approach to tailor the polarization states of high energy laser beams in the UV spectrum (351 nm). The most advanced techniques to fabricate wave plates are GLAD (Glancing Angle Deposition) 56 and liquid crystals 57 . GLAD is very interesting for the development of quarter waveplates since it exhibits a high resistance to laser damage.…”

Impact of laser polarization and angle of incidence on phase shifting efficacy of an all-optically addressed liquid crystal delay line at X band

“…Upscaling techniques from microwave to millimeterwave [12] and terahertz [13] will also be undertaken in future endeavors as inspired by the upcoming 6G [14] and intelligent reflective surfaces [15] that advance at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, future research can examine the behavior of the laser-induced functional threshold (LIFT) and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at sub-LIDT fluences under multi-pulse irradiation settings [16]. More advanced beam shaping techniques [17] can also be targeted.…”

Electrically Induced Structural Transformations of a Chiral Nematic under Tangential-Conical Boundary Conditions

“…Liquid crystals (LC) are materials of great interest, owing to their anisotropy of physical properties and specific orientational molecular ordering [1,2]. The unique electro-optical characteristics of LCs underlie their application in various optoelectronic devices, such as displays [3], controllable lasers [4,5], LC lenses [6], diffraction gratings [7,8], smart windows and glasses [9,10], etc. [11,12].…”