Achromatic phase retarders using double-layer liquid crystal cells

Juergen Schirmer; Peter Kohns; Theodor Schmidt-Kaler; Sergei Ye. Yakovenko; Anatoli A. Muravski; Roman S. Dabrowski; Povilas Adomenas; Zofia Stolarz

doi:10.1117/12.300002

1 February 1998 Achromatic phase retarders using double-layer liquid crystal cells

Juergen Schirmer, Peter Kohns, Theodor Schmidt-Kaler, Sergei Ye. Yakovenko, Anatoli A. Muravski, Roman S. Dabrowski, Povilas Adomenas, Zofia Stolarz

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3318, Liquid Crystals: Physics, Technology, and Applications; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.300002
Event: Liquid Crystals, 1997, Zakopane, Poland

Abstract

Achromatic phase retarders can be designed by combining two layers of birefringent materials with different dispersion of birefringence. We synthesized and studied several liquid crystalline structures in order to find combinations giving the best performance in achromatic phase retarders. We found that birefringence dispersion of liquid crystals is approximated well by the single band mode. The best achromatism is achieved with material having a very low resonance wavelength and birefringence. However the required thickness of the liquid crystal layers is large in these cases so that a compromise has to be found. Liquid crystal combinations with high and nearly equal clearing point should be used for devices in order to compensate the temperature drifts of birefringence against each other, thereby extending the operating temperature range. Achromatic phase retarders based on these measurements and calculations were constructed and tested. It was necessary to install an electrooptic regulation circuit for stabilizing the phase retardance at a target value. Device performance is reported and compared to achromatic retarders made of crystalline materials.

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Juergen Schirmer, Peter Kohns, Theodor Schmidt-Kaler, Sergei Ye. Yakovenko, Anatoli A. Muravski, Roman S. Dabrowski, Povilas Adomenas, and Zofia Stolarz "Achromatic phase retarders using double-layer liquid crystal cells", Proc. SPIE 3318, Liquid Crystals: Physics, Technology, and Applications, (1 February 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.300002

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