Novel Polarimetric Technique Exploring Spatiotemporal Birefringent Response of an Anti-ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Cell

TLDR: In this paper, a polarimetric technique for mapping spatiotemporal birefringent parameters characterizing an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal cell is described, where a linearly polarized beam of light transmitted by the cell turns into an elliptically polarized beam, and the resultant interference pattern is taken by a charge-coupled device video camera and recorded in a computer.

Abstract: This paper describes a novel polarimetric technique for mapping the spatiotemporal birefringent parameters characterizing an anti-ferroelectric liquid crystal cell. A linearly polarized beam of light transmitted by the liquid crystal cell turns into an elliptically polarized beam. Some birefringent irregularities existing over the cell make state of polarization of the elliptically polarized beam of light be spatiotemporal. This beam works as a signal beam to interfere with a reference beam consisting of two orthogonal linearly polarized components. The resultant interference pattern is taken by a charge-coupled device video camera and recorded in a computer. The computer gives the information required for determining the spatiotemporal birefringent parameters that characterize the liquid crystal cell. The major advantage is that the two-dimensional distribution of the birefringent axes as well as the two principal refractive indices can be determined simultaneously, and no use of any optical com...