Inscription of holographic gratings using circularly polarized light: influence of the optical set-up on the birefringence and surface relief grating properties

2002 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Lagugné-Labarthet ◽  
T. Buffeteau ◽  
C. Sourisseau
Author(s):  
Marcos F. Maestre

Recently we have developed a form of polarization microscopy that forms images using optical properties that have previously been limited to macroscopic samples. This has given us a new window into the distribution of structure on a microscopic scale. We have coined the name differential polarization microscopy to identify the images obtained that are due to certain polarization dependent effects. Differential polarization microscopy has its origins in various spectroscopic techniques that have been used to study longer range structures in solution as well as solids. The differential scattering of circularly polarized light has been shown to be dependent on the long range chiral order, both theoretically and experimentally. The same theoretical approach was used to show that images due to differential scattering of circularly polarized light will give images dependent on chiral structures. With large helices (greater than the wavelength of light) the pitch and radius of the helix could be measured directly from these images.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoming Zhang ◽  
Takunori Harada ◽  
Adriana Pietropaolo ◽  
Yuting Wang ◽  
Yue Wang ◽  
...  

Preferred-handed propeller conformation was induced by circularly polarized light irradiation to three amorphous molecules with trigonal symmetry, and the molecules with induced chirality efficiently exhibited blue circularly polarized luminescence. In...


ACS Nano ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Hao ◽  
Haipeng Lu ◽  
Lingling Mao ◽  
Xihan Chen ◽  
Matthew C. Beard ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Jelken ◽  
Carsten Henkel ◽  
Svetlana Santer

Abstract We study the peculiar response of photo-sensitive polymer films irradiated with a certain type of interference pattern where one interfering beam is S-polarized, while the second one is P-polarized. The polymer film, although in a glassy state, deforms following the local polarization distribution of the incident light, and a surface relief grating (SRG) appears whose period is half the optical one. All other types of interference patterns result in the matching of both periods. The topographical response is triggered by the alignment of photo-responsive azobenzene containing polymer side chains orthogonal to the local electrical field, resulting in a bulk birefringence grating (BBG). We investigate the process of dual grating formation (SRG and BBG) in a polymer film utilizing a dedicated set-up that combines probe beam diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, and permits acquiring in situ and in real-time information about changes in local topography and birefringence. We find that the SRG maxima appear at the positions of linearly polarized light (tilted by 45° relative to the grating vector), causing the formation of the half-period topography. This permits to inscribe symmetric and asymmetric topography gratings with sub-wavelength period, while changing only slightly the polarization of one of the interfering beams. We demonstrate an easy generation of sawtooth profiles (blazed gratings) with adjustable shape. With these results, we have taken a significant step in understanding the photo-induced deformation of azo-polymer films.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Boxuan Gao ◽  
Jeroen Beeckman ◽  
Kristiaan Neyts

We demonstrate a laser beam combiner based on four photo-patterned Pancharatnam–Berry (PB) phase gratings, which is compact and has high diffraction efficiency for incident circularly polarized light. The nematic liquid crystal mixture E7 is used as anisotropic material, and the thickness of the layer is controlled by spacers. The beam combiner can bring two parallel laser beams closer to each other while remaining parallel. This work shows the potential to realize components based on flat optical LC devices.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document