Volume hologram formation in liquid-crystal/photopolymer mixtures

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

doi:10.1117/12.504865

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8 December 2003 Volume hologram formation in liquid-crystal/photopolymer mixtures

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

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Proceedings Volume 5216, Organic Holographic Materials and Applications; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504865
Event: Optical Science and Technology, SPIE's 48th Annual Meeting, 2003, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We present a study of the real-time formation of volume holographic reflection gratings in a liquid-crystal/photopolymer mixture. The diffraction efficiency for s- and p-polarization, Bragg wavelength, and laser scattering are monitored as the grating is formed. We present a model of grating formation that incorporates the photophysics of the initiator dye, reaction-diffusion equations of the monomer-polymer-liquid crystal system, phase separation of the liquid crystal, nematic order evolution, and volume shrinkage of the polymer. The model yields good qualitative agreement with experimental data. We discuss the physics of the system as it evolves in time and describe the effects of various phenomena on the diffraction efficiency of holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal gratings.

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Richard L. Sutherland, Lalgudi V. Natarajan, Vincent P. Tondiglia, and Timothy J. Bunning "Volume hologram formation in liquid-crystal/photopolymer mixtures", Proc. SPIE 5216, Organic Holographic Materials and Applications, (8 December 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504865

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