Abstract

Chiral smectic A liquid crystals have microsecond response times due to a first order coupling between their macroscopic polarization and an applied electric field. These materials are usually aligned parallel to the restraining substrates, and the molecules rotate in the plane of the substrates under the influence of an applied electric field. This results in an analog modulation of the intensity, though not the phase, of an incident optical field when viewed through crossed polarizers. In a Fabry-Perot (FP), it is necessary to modulate the phase of the incident optical field to tune the wavelength of maximum transmission through tire FP device. In fact, it is widely accepted that chiral smectic liquid crystals are unable to modulate phase due to their planar alignment with respect to glass restraining substrates, which makes them rotate perpendicular to the direction of the propagation of light through the device.

© 1993 Optical Society of America