Abstract

An optical interference method has been developed to measure the distribution of the molecular director in an oriented cylindrical sample of nematic liquid crystal. The ratio of the elastic constants K_B/K_S can be obtained. Unlike other methods this one does not require independently measured quantities or the application of an external field. One interferogram is sufficient to determine refractive indexes and the elastic constant ratio. The hypothesis of strong anchoring can be tested directly.

© 1981 Optical Society of America

Cylindrically aligned liquid crystals: an interferometric analysis

F. Scudieri
Appl. Opt. 18(9) 1455-1459 (1979)

All-optical measurement of elastic constants in nematic liquid crystals

Bartłomiej Klus, Urszula A. Laudyn, Mirosław A. Karpierz, and Bouchta Sahraoui
Opt. Express 22(24) 30257-30266 (2014)

Color gamut of a nematic liquid crystal display under ambient illumination

Teruo Shimomura
Appl. Opt. 20(24) 4156-4160 (1981)

Direct measurement of the two principal refractive indexes of a nematic liquid crystal slab

E. Miraldi, C. Oldano, L. Trossi, and P. Taverna Valabrega
Appl. Opt. 21(22) 4163-4166 (1982)

Ordering of glass rods in nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals

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Opt. Mater. Express 1(8) 1536-1547 (2011)