Open AccessTwo-dimensional liquid crystal polarization grating via linearly polarized light modified multi-beam polarization interferometry
Author(s) -
Yue Shi,
Yingming Lai,
Yan Jun Liu,
Vladimir G. Chigrinov,
HoiSing Kwok,
Minggang Hu,
Dan Luo,
Xiao Wei Sun
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.27.013061
Subject(s) - optics , polarization (electrochemistry) , holography , materials science , lithography , interference lithography , grating , circular polarization , linear polarization , interference (communication) , fabrication , interferometry , light intensity , polarization rotator , ray , liquid crystal , optoelectronics , photonic crystal , diffraction grating , physics , birefringence , laser , medicine , channel (broadcasting) , chemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , microstrip , electrical engineering , engineering
Holographic lithography is widely used as an effective approach for two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal fabrication. However, for the fabrication of 2D polarization structures based on photoaligned liquid crystals (LCs), holographic lithography method is limited. The fabrication requires full coverage of light intensity, 2D chiral distribution and continuously varying polarization direction, which could be hardly guaranteed by multi-beam interference of circularly polarized light (CPL). Herein, we introduce a linearly polarized light (LPL) into a three-CPL interference configuration to improve the interference field and fulfill the critical requirement. The introduced LPL intensity is chosen to be 1/5 of the CPL to guarantee both full coverage of light intensity and well photoalignment defined LC directors. Moreover, the introduction of the weak LPL into multiple CPL interference is shown to give little disturbance to the desired diffraction properties.