The director structure and electroclinic fast optical switching in a grating-coupled ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal cell
Optical excitation of guided modes in a liquid crystal layer using grating-coupling gives sharp features in the angle-dependent reflectivity data. These features are strengthened by using a metallized grating to enhance coupling to the guided modes in the liquid crystal. In the present study the liquid crystal has a smectic A phase which exhibits fast electroclinic switching. Combining the sharp features in the reflectivity together with the electroclinic effect leads to fast, high contrast, optical switching which may open up potential for novel device structures.
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 September 1999
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content