Stokes-parameter analysis of the polarization of light transmitted through a chiral nematic liquid-crystal cell

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2005

Abstract

A spectroscopic Stokes polarimeter is used to directly measure the linearly, circularly, and randomly polarized components of light obtained on transmission of unpolarized light through thick chiral nematic liquid-crystal cells in the stop band. The Stokes parameters are simulated to fit the experimental data by use of the Berreman 4 × 4 transfer matrix by means of the Jones and Stokes vectors and taking into account multiple reflections at the interfaces of the cell. Excellent agreement is obtained. The transmitted light through a commercial cell is mainly circularly polarized at normal incidence, but a significant linearly polarized component is also observed. The model shows that this results from refractive-index mismatching at the liquid-crystal–alignment-layer interface, but a small linearly polarized component remains even with optimized index matching. An improved device configuration incorporating random defects at the exit boundary of the liquid crystal gives a highly circularly polarized output with virtually no linear or unpolarized components.

Keywords

Stokes-parameter analysis, Polarization of light transmitted, Chiral nematic liquid-crystal cell

Publication Title

Journal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics, Image Science & Vision (JOSA A)

ISSN

1084-7529

Divisions

PHYSICS

Volume

22

Issue

4

Publisher

Optical Society of America

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