Laser-pointer-induced self-focusing effect in hybrid-aligned dye-doped liquid crystals.

ABSTRACT: Nonlinear optics deals with phenomena where "light controls light"; e.g., there is mediation by an intensity-dependent medium through which light propagates. This field has attracted much attention for its immense potential in applications dependent on nonlinear processes, such as frequency conversion, multiple-photon absorption, self-phase modulation, and so on. However, such nonlinearities are typically only observed at very high light intensities and thus they require costly lasers. Here, we report on a self-focusing effect induced with a 1 mW handheld laser pointer. We prepared polymer-stabilized dye-doped liquid crystals, in which the molecular director orientation gradually changes from homeotropic at one surface to homogeneous at the other. This is referred to as hybrid alignment. I

SUBMITTER: Wang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4421798 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature