Effect Of Liquid-Crystal Thickness On The Optical Performance Of A Liquid-Crystal Image Transducer

G. Paul Montgomery Jr.

doi:10.1117/12.958105

30 January 1980 Effect Of Liquid-Crystal Thickness On The Optical Performance Of A Liquid-Crystal Image Transducer

G. Paul Montgomery Jr.

Proceedings Volume 0202, Active Optical Devices; (1980) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.958105
Event: 23rd Annual Technical Symposium, 1979, San Diego, United States

Abstract

We report the influence of liquid-crystal (LC) thickness on the optical performance of a reflection-mode image transducer utilizing a nematic LC with a 45° twist. Our analysis includes all multiple-reflection effects arising from the multilayer structure of the device. These effects must be considered to obtain a full understanding of transducer performance when coherent light is used for image readout. The off-state intensity, ideally zero, varies strongly with LC thickness. This dependence can be markedly altered by the optically isotropic layers in the transducer. If the LC thickness varies across the transducer aperture, these layers can produce interference fringes in the off-state intensity. In the on-state, transducer sensitometry (i.e., coherent readout light intensity vs. incoherent writing light intensity) depends critically on LC thickness. LC thickness variations across the aperture produce complex on-state intensity behavior. This behavior is analyzed and its consequences for real-time tracking of moving objects by optical correlation are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

G. Paul Montgomery Jr. "Effect Of Liquid-Crystal Thickness On The Optical Performance Of A Liquid-Crystal Image Transducer", Proc. SPIE 0202, Active Optical Devices, (30 January 1980); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.958105

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