Light depolarization effects during the Fréedericksz transition in nematic liquid crystals

doi:10.1364/OE.15.017063

Light depolarization effects during the Fréedericksz transition in nematic liquid crystals

Carlo Vena, Carlo Versace, Giuseppe Strangi, Stefano D'Elia, and Roberto Bartolino »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 15, Issue 25, pp. 17063-17071 (2007)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.15.017063

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Abstract

This work is aimed to the photopolarimetric characterization of the disorder evolution occurring in homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal films during the electrically induced Fréedericksz transition. The molecular director dynamics and the transversal reorientation modes are investigated by the analysis of the depolarization of the light beam emerging from the sample. Our measurements reveal unexpected depolarization effects at the transition, which we interpret in terms of director field unhomogeneity and defects creation.

OCIS Codes
(160.3710) Materials : Liquid crystals
(290.5855) Scattering : Scattering, polarization

ToC Category:
Materials

History
Original Manuscript: September 4, 2007
Revised Manuscript: October 23, 2007
Manuscript Accepted: November 1, 2007
Published: December 5, 2007

Citation
Carlo Vena, Carlo Versace, Giuseppe Strangi, Stefano D'Elia, and Roberto Bartolino, "Light depolarization effects during the Fréedericksz transition in nematic liquid crystals," Opt. Express 15, 17063-17071 (2007)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-15-25-17063

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References

P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals (Oxford Science Publications, Clarendon Press, second edition, 1993).
V. Fréedericksz and V. Zolina, "Forces causing the orientation of an anisotropic liquid," Trans. Faraday Soc. 29, 919 (1933). [CrossRef]
M. Golubitsky and D. G. Schaeffer, Singularities and Groups in Bifurcation Theory: Vol. I, Applied Mathematical Sciences 51 (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1985).
G. I. Blake, T. Mullin, and S. J. Tavener, "The Freedericksz transition as a bifurcation problem," Dyn. Stab. Syst. 14,299 (1999). [CrossRef]
M. Kléman, "Defects in liquid crystals," Rep. Prog. Phys. 52, 555 (1989);R. Repnik, L. Mathelitsch, M. Svetec and S. Kralj, "Physics of defects in nematic liquid crystals," Eur. J. Phys. 24, 481 (2003). [CrossRef]
M. G. Clerc, T. Nagaya, A. Petrossian, S. Residori and C. S. Riera, "First-order Fréedericksz transition and front propagation in a liquid crystal light valve with feedback," Eur. Phys. J. D 28, 435 (2004). [CrossRef]
A. Buka and L. Kramer, "Linear and Nonlinear Transient Patterns in the Splay Freedericksz Transition of Nematics," J. Phys.II, France 2, 315 (1992). [CrossRef]
N. Scaramuzza, G. Strangi, and C. Versace, "Electro-Optic Behavior of a Non Polar Nematic Liquid Crystal and Its Mixture," Liq. Cryst. 28, 307 (2001). [CrossRef]
C. Vena, C. Versace, G. Strangi, V. Bruno, N. Scaramuzza, and R. Bartolino, "Light depolarization effect by electrohydrodynamic turbulence in Nematic Liquid Crystals," Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 441, 1 (2005). [CrossRef]
R. M. A. Azzam, "Beam splitters for the division-of-amplitude photopolarimeter," Opt. Acta 32, 1407 (1985). [CrossRef]
R. M. A. Azzam, E. Masetti, I. M. Elminyawi, and F. G. Grosz, "Construction, calibration, and testing of a four-detector photopolarimeter," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 59, 84 (1988). [CrossRef]
E. Masetti and M. P. de Silva, "Development of a novel ellipsometer based on a four-detector photopolarimeter," Thin Solid Films 264, 47 (1994). [CrossRef]
K. Brudzewski, "Static stokes ellipsometer: general analysis and optimization," J. Mod. Opt. 38, 889 (1991). [CrossRef]
D. Bicout, C. Brosseau, A. S. Martinez and J. M. Schmitt, "Depolarization of multiply scattered waves by spherical diffusers: Influence of the size parameter," Phys. Rev. E 49, 1767 (1994). [CrossRef]
C. Brosseau and D. Bicout, "Entropy production in multiple scattering of light by a spatially random medium," Phys. Rev. E 50, 4997 (1994). [CrossRef]
R. A. Chipma, "Polarizers, retarders and depolarizes," http://www.optics.arizona.edu/chipman/Publications/Polarizers_and_Polarized_Light_Preview.pdf.
N. Eber, S. A. Rozanski, Sz. Nemeth, A. Buka, W. Pesch and L. Kramer, "Decay of spatially periodic patterns in a Nematic Liquid Crystal," Phys. Rev. E. 70, 061706 (2004). [CrossRef]
S. T. Bramwell, K. Christensen, J.-Y. Fortin, P. C.W. Holdsworth, H. J. Jensen, S. Lise, J. M. López, M. Nicodemi, J.-F. Pinton, and M. Sellitto, "Universal fluctuations in correlated systems," Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3744 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Tóth-Katona and J. T. Gleeson, "Distribution of injected power fluctuations in electroconvection," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 264501 (2003). [CrossRef]
N. Ghosh, A. Pradhan, P. K. Gupta, S. Gupta, V. Jaisawal, and R.P. Singh, "Depolarization of light in a multiply scattering medium: Effect of the refractive index of a scatterer," Phys. Rev. E 70, 066607 (2004). [CrossRef]

Azzam, R. M. A.
Bartolino, R.
Bicout, D.
Blake, G. I.
Bramwell, S. T.
Brosseau, C.
Brudzewski, K.
Bruno, V.
Buka, A.
Christensen, K.
Clerc, M. G.
de Silva, M. P.
Eber, N.
Elminyawi, I. M.
Fortin, J.-Y.
Fréedericksz, V.
Ghosh, N.
Gleeson, J. T.
Grosz, F. G.
Gupta, P. K.
Gupta, S.
Holdsworth, P. C.W.
Jaisawal, V.
Jensen, H. J.
Kléman, M.
Kralj, S.
Kramer, L.
Lise, S.
López, J. M.
Martinez, A. S.
Masetti, E.
Mathelitsch, L.
Mullin, T.
Nagaya, T.
Nicodemi, M.
Petrossian, A.
Pinton, J.-F.
Pradhan, A.
Repnik, R.
Residori, S.
Riera, C. S.
Rozanski, S. A.
Scaramuzza, N.
Schmitt, J. M.
Sellitto, M.
Singh, R.P.
Strangi, G.
Svetec, M.
Tavener, S. J.
Tóth-Katona, T.
Vena, C.
Versace, C.
Zolina, V.

Dyn. Stab. Syst.

G. I. Blake, T. Mullin, and S. J. Tavener, "The Freedericksz transition as a bifurcation problem," Dyn. Stab. Syst. 14,299 (1999). [CrossRef]

Eur. Phys. J. D

M. G. Clerc, T. Nagaya, A. Petrossian, S. Residori and C. S. Riera, "First-order Fréedericksz transition and front propagation in a liquid crystal light valve with feedback," Eur. Phys. J. D 28, 435 (2004). [CrossRef]

II, France

A. Buka and L. Kramer, "Linear and Nonlinear Transient Patterns in the Splay Freedericksz Transition of Nematics," J. Phys.II, France 2, 315 (1992). [CrossRef]

J. Mod. Opt.

K. Brudzewski, "Static stokes ellipsometer: general analysis and optimization," J. Mod. Opt. 38, 889 (1991). [CrossRef]

Liq. Cryst.

N. Scaramuzza, G. Strangi, and C. Versace, "Electro-Optic Behavior of a Non Polar Nematic Liquid Crystal and Its Mixture," Liq. Cryst. 28, 307 (2001). [CrossRef]

Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst.

C. Vena, C. Versace, G. Strangi, V. Bruno, N. Scaramuzza, and R. Bartolino, "Light depolarization effect by electrohydrodynamic turbulence in Nematic Liquid Crystals," Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 441, 1 (2005). [CrossRef]

Opt. Acta

R. M. A. Azzam, "Beam splitters for the division-of-amplitude photopolarimeter," Opt. Acta 32, 1407 (1985). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E

D. Bicout, C. Brosseau, A. S. Martinez and J. M. Schmitt, "Depolarization of multiply scattered waves by spherical diffusers: Influence of the size parameter," Phys. Rev. E 49, 1767 (1994). [CrossRef]
C. Brosseau and D. Bicout, "Entropy production in multiple scattering of light by a spatially random medium," Phys. Rev. E 50, 4997 (1994). [CrossRef]
N. Ghosh, A. Pradhan, P. K. Gupta, S. Gupta, V. Jaisawal, and R.P. Singh, "Depolarization of light in a multiply scattering medium: Effect of the refractive index of a scatterer," Phys. Rev. E 70, 066607 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E.

N. Eber, S. A. Rozanski, Sz. Nemeth, A. Buka, W. Pesch and L. Kramer, "Decay of spatially periodic patterns in a Nematic Liquid Crystal," Phys. Rev. E. 70, 061706 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

S. T. Bramwell, K. Christensen, J.-Y. Fortin, P. C.W. Holdsworth, H. J. Jensen, S. Lise, J. M. López, M. Nicodemi, J.-F. Pinton, and M. Sellitto, "Universal fluctuations in correlated systems," Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3744 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Tóth-Katona and J. T. Gleeson, "Distribution of injected power fluctuations in electroconvection," Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 264501 (2003). [CrossRef]

Rep. Prog. Phys.

M. Kléman, "Defects in liquid crystals," Rep. Prog. Phys. 52, 555 (1989);R. Repnik, L. Mathelitsch, M. Svetec and S. Kralj, "Physics of defects in nematic liquid crystals," Eur. J. Phys. 24, 481 (2003). [CrossRef]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

R. M. A. Azzam, E. Masetti, I. M. Elminyawi, and F. G. Grosz, "Construction, calibration, and testing of a four-detector photopolarimeter," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 59, 84 (1988). [CrossRef]

Thin Solid Films

E. Masetti and M. P. de Silva, "Development of a novel ellipsometer based on a four-detector photopolarimeter," Thin Solid Films 264, 47 (1994). [CrossRef]

Trans. Faraday Soc.

V. Fréedericksz and V. Zolina, "Forces causing the orientation of an anisotropic liquid," Trans. Faraday Soc. 29, 919 (1933). [CrossRef]

Other

M. Golubitsky and D. G. Schaeffer, Singularities and Groups in Bifurcation Theory: Vol. I, Applied Mathematical Sciences 51 (Springer-Verlag, New York, 1985).
P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals (Oxford Science Publications, Clarendon Press, second edition, 1993).
R. A. Chipma, "Polarizers, retarders and depolarizes," http://www.optics.arizona.edu/chipman/Publications/Polarizers_and_Polarized_Light_Preview.pdf.

2005, Vena, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst.
2004, Clerc, Eur. Phys. J. D
2004, Eber, Phys. Rev. E.
2004, Ghosh, Phys. Rev. E
2003, Tóth-Katona, Phys. Rev. Lett.
2001, Scaramuzza, Liq. Cryst.
2000, Bramwell, Phys. Rev. Lett.
1999, Blake, Dyn. Stab. Syst.
1994, Masetti, Thin Solid Films
1994, Bicout, Phys. Rev. E
1994, Brosseau, Phys. Rev. E
1992, Buka, II, France
1991, Brudzewski, J. Mod. Opt.
1989, Kléman, Rep. Prog. Phys.
1989, Repnik, Rep. Prog. Phys.
1988, Azzam, Rev. Sci. Instrum.
1985, Azzam, Opt. Acta
1933, Fréedericksz, Trans. Faraday Soc.

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