Despite the wide application of liquid crystals (LCs) in the visible frequency range, their properties in the terahertz range have not yet been extensively investigated. In this paper we have investigated the terahertz properties of LCs E7, BL037, RDP-94990 and RDP-97304 using terahertz time-domain-spectroscopy. We find that RDP-94990 has the largest birefringence and smallest absorption in the terahertz range compared to E7 and BL037. We highlight the importance of investigating all parameters, not just the birefringence, when designing fast, efficient and transmissive terahertz LC devices.

© 2012 OSA

1. E. Pickwell and V. P. Wallace, “Biomedical applications of terahertz technology,” J. Phys. D Appl. Phys.39(17), R301–R310 (2006). [CrossRef]
2. C.-Y. Chen, C.-F. Hsieh, Y.-F. Lin, R.-P. Pan, and C.-L. Pan, “Magnetically tunable room-temperature 2 pi liquid crystal terahertz phase shifter,” Opt. Express12(12), 2625–2630 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. S. A. Jewell, E. Hendry, T. H. Isaac, and J. R. Sambles, “Tuneable Fabry–Perot etalon for terahertz radiation,” New J. Phys.10(3), 033012 (2008). [CrossRef]
4. R. Wilk, N. Vieweg, O. Kopschinski, and M. Koch, “Liquid crystal based electrically switchable Bragg structure for THz waves,” Opt. Express17(9), 7377–7382 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. I. C. Khoo, D. H. Werner, X. Liang, A. Diaz, and B. Weiner, “Nanosphere dispersed liquid crystals for tunable negative-zero-positive index of refraction in the optical and terahertz regimes,” Opt. Lett.31(17), 2592–2594 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. E. M. Pogson, R. A. Lewis, M. Koeberle, and R. Jacoby, “Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of nematic liquid crystals,” Proc. SPIE7728, 77281Y (2010). [CrossRef]
7. E. Jakeman and E. P. Raynes, “Electro-optic response times in liquid crystals,” Phys. Lett. A39(1), 69–70 (1972). [CrossRef]
8. M. Schadt, “Liquid Crystal Materials and Liquid Crystal Displays,” Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci.27(1), 305–379 (1997). [CrossRef]
9. X. Nie, H. Xianyu, R. Lu, T. X. Wu, and S.-T. Wu, “Pretilt Angle Effects on Liquid Crystal Response Time,” J. Disp. Technol.3(3), 280–283 (2007). [CrossRef]
10. C. S. Yang, C. J. Lin, R. P. Pan, C. T. Que, K. Yamamoto, M. Tani, and C. L. Pan, “The complex refractive indices of the liquid crystal mixture E7 in the terahertz frequency range,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27(9), 1866–1873 (2010). [CrossRef]
11. N. Vieweg, M. K. Shakfa, and M. Koch, “BL037: A nematic mixture with high terahertz birefringence,” Opt. Commun.284(7), 1887–1889 (2011). [CrossRef]
12. S. V. Pasechnik, V. G. Chigrinov, and D. V. Shmeliova, Liquid Crystals, Viscous and Elastic Properties (Wiley-VCH, 2009), 424 pp.
13. G. J. Evans, J. K. Moscicki, and M. W. Evans, “The Poley absorption in liquid crystals,” J. Mol. Liq.32(2), 149–160 (1986). [CrossRef]
14. V. Tkachenko, A. A. Dyomin, G. V. Tkachenko, G. Abbate, and I. A. Sukhoivanov, “Electrical reorientation of liquid crystal molecules inside cylindrical pores for photonic device applications,” J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.10(5), 055301 (2008). [CrossRef]
15. Z. Ran, P. Zeng-Hui, L. Yong-Gang, Z. Zhi-Gang, and X. Li, “Rotational viscosity of a liquid crystal mixture: a fully atomistic molecular dynamics study,” Chin. Phys. B18(10), 4380–4385 (2009). [CrossRef]
16. N. Vieweg, N. Born, I. Al-Naib, and M. Koch, “Electrically Tunable Terahertz Notch Filters,” J. Infrared Milli. Terahz. Waves33(3), 327–332 (2012). [CrossRef]

Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci.

• M. Schadt, “Liquid Crystal Materials and Liquid Crystal Displays,” Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci.27(1), 305–379 (1997). [CrossRef]

Chin. Phys. B

• Z. Ran, P. Zeng-Hui, L. Yong-Gang, Z. Zhi-Gang, and X. Li, “Rotational viscosity of a liquid crystal mixture: a fully atomistic molecular dynamics study,” Chin. Phys. B18(10), 4380–4385 (2009). [CrossRef]

J. Disp. Technol.

• X. Nie, H. Xianyu, R. Lu, T. X. Wu, and S.-T. Wu, “Pretilt Angle Effects on Liquid Crystal Response Time,” J. Disp. Technol.3(3), 280–283 (2007). [CrossRef]

J. Infrared Milli. Terahz. Waves

• N. Vieweg, N. Born, I. Al-Naib, and M. Koch, “Electrically Tunable Terahertz Notch Filters,” J. Infrared Milli. Terahz. Waves33(3), 327–332 (2012). [CrossRef]

J. Mol. Liq.

• G. J. Evans, J. K. Moscicki, and M. W. Evans, “The Poley absorption in liquid crystals,” J. Mol. Liq.32(2), 149–160 (1986). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.

• V. Tkachenko, A. A. Dyomin, G. V. Tkachenko, G. Abbate, and I. A. Sukhoivanov, “Electrical reorientation of liquid crystal molecules inside cylindrical pores for photonic device applications,” J. Opt. A, Pure Appl. Opt.10(5), 055301 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• C. S. Yang, C. J. Lin, R. P. Pan, C. T. Que, K. Yamamoto, M. Tani, and C. L. Pan, “The complex refractive indices of the liquid crystal mixture E7 in the terahertz frequency range,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27(9), 1866–1873 (2010). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. D Appl. Phys.

• E. Pickwell and V. P. Wallace, “Biomedical applications of terahertz technology,” J. Phys. D Appl. Phys.39(17), R301–R310 (2006). [CrossRef]

New J. Phys.

• S. A. Jewell, E. Hendry, T. H. Isaac, and J. R. Sambles, “Tuneable Fabry–Perot etalon for terahertz radiation,” New J. Phys.10(3), 033012 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• N. Vieweg, M. K. Shakfa, and M. Koch, “BL037: A nematic mixture with high terahertz birefringence,” Opt. Commun.284(7), 1887–1889 (2011). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• R. Wilk, N. Vieweg, O. Kopschinski, and M. Koch, “Liquid crystal based electrically switchable Bragg structure for THz waves,” Opt. Express17(9), 7377–7382 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C.-Y. Chen, C.-F. Hsieh, Y.-F. Lin, R.-P. Pan, and C.-L. Pan, “Magnetically tunable room-temperature 2 pi liquid crystal terahertz phase shifter,” Opt. Express12(12), 2625–2630 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• I. C. Khoo, D. H. Werner, X. Liang, A. Diaz, and B. Weiner, “Nanosphere dispersed liquid crystals for tunable negative-zero-positive index of refraction in the optical and terahertz regimes,” Opt. Lett.31(17), 2592–2594 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Lett. A

• E. Jakeman and E. P. Raynes, “Electro-optic response times in liquid crystals,” Phys. Lett. A39(1), 69–70 (1972). [CrossRef]

Proc. SPIE

• E. M. Pogson, R. A. Lewis, M. Koeberle, and R. Jacoby, “Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of nematic liquid crystals,” Proc. SPIE7728, 77281Y (2010). [CrossRef]

Other

• S. V. Pasechnik, V. G. Chigrinov, and D. V. Shmeliova, Liquid Crystals, Viscous and Elastic Properties (Wiley-VCH, 2009), 424 pp.

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