Fast optical switching by a laser-manipulated microdroplet of liquid crystal

Saulius Juodkazis; Masaya Shikata; Toshimasa Takahashi; Shigeki Matsuo; Hiroaki Misawa

doi:10.1063/1.123203

Fast optical switching by a laser-manipulated microdroplet of liquid crystal

Saulius Juodkazis, Masaya Shikata, Toshimasa Takahashi, Shigeki Matsuo, Hiroaki Misawa

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

74 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We demonstrate the feasibility of an all-optical liquid-crystal (LC) switch with submillisecond switching time. This switch is realized by optical manipulation of a three-dimensionally trapped microscopic nematic LC droplet using an "optical tweezers." Transmission of a polarizer/LC droplet/analyzer system can be modulated at frequencies as high as 10³ Hz, a faster response than that of a nematic LC demonstrated so far. The response corresponds to a submillisecond switching time when the LC droplet is rotated by an angle of π/4. The alignment of the LC droplet to the plane of the incident plane-poiarized beam is also demonstrated.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3627-3629
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	74
Issue number	24
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.123203
Publication status	Published - 1999 Jun 14
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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AU - Juodkazis, Saulius

AU - Shikata, Masaya

AU - Takahashi, Toshimasa

AU - Matsuo, Shigeki

AU - Misawa, Hiroaki

PY - 1999/6/14

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AB - We demonstrate the feasibility of an all-optical liquid-crystal (LC) switch with submillisecond switching time. This switch is realized by optical manipulation of a three-dimensionally trapped microscopic nematic LC droplet using an "optical tweezers." Transmission of a polarizer/LC droplet/analyzer system can be modulated at frequencies as high as 103 Hz, a faster response than that of a nematic LC demonstrated so far. The response corresponds to a submillisecond switching time when the LC droplet is rotated by an angle of π/4. The alignment of the LC droplet to the plane of the incident plane-poiarized beam is also demonstrated.

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