Nematic topological line defects as optical waveguides

Miha Čančula; Miha Ravnik; Slobodan Žumer

doi:10.1117/12.2079096

11 March 2015 Nematic topological line defects as optical waveguides

Miha Čančula, Miha Ravnik, Slobodan Žumer

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Proceedings Volume 9384, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies X; 938402 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2079096
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2015, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Liquid crystals are starting to attract attention for applications beyond the display technology. Their high birefringence, softness, and possibility to form complex topological defect structures allow for easy light manipulation in systems ranging from cholesteric lasers to droplet resonators and wave guides. Recent interest in light-induced topological defects and light propagation along the defects stimulated us to develop a customized version of the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method for solving Maxwell's equations on a discrete time and space lattice. Here, we present an overview of our recent simulations, modeling the time-evolution of electromagnetic fields along birefringent structures in nematic liquid crystals, specifically light propagation along nematic defect lines. In the regime of high light intensity beams the modelling approach includes also a light induced modification of local nematic ordering obtained via a qtensor free energy minimization procedure. We show how topological invariants of the nematic and polarization fields combine and also affect the beam intensity profile. Finally, off-axis propagation of beams with respect to the defect lines is considered.

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Miha Čančula, Miha Ravnik, and Slobodan Žumer "Nematic topological line defects as optical waveguides", Proc. SPIE 9384, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies X, 938402 (11 March 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2079096

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