Abstract

A theoretical approach to the fascinating effect of the grating action of a periodically distorted nematic liquid crystal layer, under the realistic assumption of small distortion angles, is presented. The approach, being wave optical, equips us with tools that permit us (a) to test and fit data obtained during electrohydrodynamic instability experiments, (b) to furnish criteria for the extent of validity of the geometrical-optical methods, and (c) to have at our disposal easy-to-compute results for testing computational methods of more general validity.

© 1997 Optical Society of America

Geometrical optics approach to the nematic liquid crystal grating: numerical results

J. A. Kosmopoulos and H. M. Zenginoglou
Appl. Opt. 26(9) 1714-1721 (1987)

Analytical expression for the fringe intensities of a nematic grating excited electrohydrodynamically in the dielectric mode

H. M. Zenginoglou and P. L. Papadopoulos
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 18(3) 573-576 (2001)

Geometrical optics approach to the obliquely illuminated nematic liquid crystal diffraction grating

H. M. Zenginoglou and J. A. Kosmopoulos
Appl. Opt. 27(18) 3898-3901 (1988)

Geometrical optics approach to the nematic liquid crystal grating: leading term formulas

H. M. Zenginoglou and J. A. Kosmopoulos
Appl. Opt. 28(16) 3516-3519 (1989)

Light diffusion and diffusing-wave spectroscopy in nematic liquid crystals

H. Stark, M. H. Kao, K. A. Jester, T. C. Lubensky, A. G. Yodh, and P. J. Collings
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14(1) 156-178 (1997)