Light-controlled reorientation of nematic liquid crystal driven by an electric field

ABSTRACT

The joint influence of optical and (quasi-)static electric fields on the orientation of liquid crystal gives rise to peculiar effects. In this article we report on the generation of transient domains in liquid crystals, which are an order of magnitude larger than the size of the optical field profile. The formation of such a domain is due to the fact that the initially present optical field reverses the pre-tilt, and the voltage that is then applied gives rise to an amplification of the tilt angle. The resulting reorientation of the director strongly depends on the starting conditions of the preliminary present optical field. We demonstrate different switching conditions, depending on the relation between the incident angle of the beam and the pre-tilt angle. The resulting refractive index profiles give rise to lensing effects.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Optical reorientation
• domain wall
• nonlinearity
• Gaussian beam
• nematic liquid crystal

Acknowledgements

Varsenik Nersesyan is a joint PhD student between Ghent University, Belgium (UGent support by BOF14/FJD/009) and Institute for Physical Research NAS, Armenia. This research has been carried out in the framework of the IAP project Photonics@be of the Belgian Science Policy and the project SECONDOS (IWT-Vlaanderen).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the BOF14 [grant FJD/009]; IAP project Photonics@be of the Belgian Science Policy; project SECONDOS (IWT-Vlaanderen).