Switchable holograms in new photopolymer-liquid crystal composite materials

Richard L. Sutherland; Lalgudi V. Natarajan; Vincent P. Tondiglia; Timothy J. Bunning; W. Wade Adams

doi:10.1117/12.207464

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20 April 1995 Switchable holograms in new photopolymer-liquid-crystal composite materials

Richard L. Sutherland, Lalgudi V. Natarajan, Vincent P. Tondiglia, Timothy J. Bunning, W. Wade Adams

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Proceedings Volume 2404, Diffractive and Holographic Optics Technology II; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.207464
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Switchable holograms open up the possibility of real-time electro-optical control of diffractive optic components. We have developed a novel photopolymer-liquid crystal material system which allows fast, single-step recording of holograms with diffraction efficiency controllable by conveniently applied electric fields. With the addition of a surfactant to our standard material recipe, we have achieved complete switching of a first-order Bragg diffracted beam into the zero-order with an applied field of approximately 5 V/micrometers and microsecond response time. We have also demonstrated image storage and electro-optical readout with these materials. Low voltage, high resolution scanning electron microscopy studies have confirmed that gratings formed in this material system consist of periodic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal planes. The critical fields for switching and the response times agree very well with a simple liquid crystal shaped-droplet model which we have applied to these gratings.

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Richard L. Sutherland, Lalgudi V. Natarajan, Vincent P. Tondiglia, Timothy J. Bunning, and W. Wade Adams "Switchable holograms in new photopolymer-liquid-crystal composite materials", Proc. SPIE 2404, Diffractive and Holographic Optics Technology II, (20 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.207464

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