Abstract

Angular structure of light polarization for transmittance of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell is studied both theoretically and experimentally by analyzing the polarization state in relation to the incidence angles. The polarization resolved angular patterns emerging in the two-dimensional projection plane after the NLC cell are characterized in terms of the polarization singularities: C-points (points of circular polarization) and L-lines (lines of linear polarization). The exact solution to the transmission problem is employed to compute the polarization patterns for a variety of orientational director structures and to interpret the experimental results measured in the homeotropically aligned NLC cell using the technique of Stokes polarimetry.

© 2007 Optical Society of America