Polymer dispersed liquid crystal droplets: methods of calculation of optical characteristics

Abstract

The extinction efficiency factor and the angular distribution of radiation for polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) droplets have been calculated in the new discrete-dipole approximation (DDA) and compared with the data obtained in the commonly used Rayleigh-Gans approximation (RGA) and in the anomalous-diffraction approximation (ADA). The errors of calculations by the above mentioned methods for droplets with a homogeneous and for droplets with a radial director configuration are considered. The results of calculations of the optical properties of droplets with a radial and with a bipolar director configuration in the DDA are presented. Based on the results obtained the potentialities of the above methods for describing the scattering by liquid crystal droplets are illustrated.