Two-dimentional diffractive optical structure based on patterned photoalignment of polymerizable liquid crystal

Abstract

This paper is devoted to the investigation of the diffraction characteristics of a multilayer optical structure, represented by a two-dimensional phase lattice formed in thin-film layers of nematic polymerizable liquid crystal (PLC). In order to generate periodically ordered liquid-crystal (LC) domains with dimensions of 5–10 µm, which form an anisotropic LC grating, the layer-by-layer patterned photoalignment technology of the water-soluble azo dye AbA-2522 was used. The possibilities of spatial-polarization control of light beams by means of developed one- and two-dimensional diffractive LC structures have been studied experimentally. Our results are promising from the point of view of development and creation of LC-devices for solving current problems of polarization photonics.

Patterned Photoalignment-Based One- and Two-Dimensional Liquid Crystal Forked Gratings

“…Formation of light beams with phase singularity (optical vortices) is commonly realized with the use of diffraction gratings characterized by the fork dislocation (fork-dislocation gratings). In the process of work the authors have fabricated 1D and 2D fork-dislocation gratings based on the technology of layer patterned photoalignment of a polymerizable nematic liquid crystal (PLC) [17]. One-dimensional forked gratings were fabricated utilizing the photosensitive azo dye AtA-2 as an alignment material [18,19].…”

Optical Vortices Generation by Azopolymeric Relief Gratings

“…Because of this, of great importance is a search of effective methods and media for the creation of DOE designed to form singular light beams. The photopolymers based on azo dyes in several works are named among the most promising media [25][26][27][28][29][30]. Azopolymeric materials enable one to realize the effective direct contact optical recording [25] and holographic recording with a high spatial resolution [26].…”

“…The photopolymers based on azo dyes in several works are named among the most promising media [25][26][27][28][29][30]. Azopolymeric materials enable one to realize the effective direct contact optical recording [25] and holographic recording with a high spatial resolution [26]. The use of azo polymers facilitates development of the technologies aimed at the creation of optical micro-and nanostructures for solution of various problems of photonics [27][28][29][30].…”

Switchable Diffraction Gratings Based on the Periodic Binary Alignment of a Nematic Liquid Crystal

“…The patterned photoalignment of LC materials [12,13] has enjoyed great success in recent decades as the best way of fabricating periodically ordered one-, two-, and three-dimensional optical structures that control the spatial, phase, and polarization characteristics of optical fields [14][15][16]. Noncontact photoalignment offers the possibility of locally controlling the distribution of an LC director on a surface with high spatial resolution (several microns).…”