Liquid-crystal micro-photonics

ABSTRACT

This review presents the main results that were achieved over the past decade in the new field of liquid-crystal micro-photonics. After a general introduction to some aspects of state-of-the-art micro-photonics technologies, nematic colloids are discussed in terms of their self-assembly and photonic properties. Liquid-crystal lasers, based on spatially periodic, liquid-crystal phases, are reviewed, and microlasers based on liquid-crystal microdroplets are presented and discussed. We show that optical microfibres can be self-grown in water/liquid-crystal dispersions and present their waveguiding and lasing properties. The review concludes with a discussion of the resonant transfer of light across different liquid-crystal micro-objects and presents the ultra-fast optical Kerr and STED effects in bulk nematic liquid crystals.

KEYWORDS:

• Photonic circuits
• liquid crystals
• microlasers
• microfibers
• optical Kerr effect
• STED
• colloids

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution to this review paper of many colleagues over many years of research: Matjaž Humar, Miha Škarabot, Andriy Nych, Ulyana Ognysta, Maruša Vitek, V.S. Rao Jampani, Slobodan Žumer, Miha Ravnik, Laura Cattaneo and Theo Rasing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) through research contracts P1-0099 and J1-6723.