Influence of the alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer thickness on the characteristics of electrically controlled optical modulators

• Published in: Technical physics letters Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 498 - 500
• Main Authors: Vasil’ev, V. N., Konshina, E. A., Kostomarov, D. S., Fedorov, M. A., Amosova, L. P., Gavrish, E. O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01-06-2009
• Subjects: Classical and Continuum Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; 78.20.Fm; 77.84.Nh; 78.20.Jg
• ISSN: 1063-7850; 1090-6533
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063785009060054

The screening effect of the amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) alignment layer and its dependence on the thickness of a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal (NLC) layer have been studied. Optimization of the a-C:H layer thickness allows a threshold voltage for the optical
S
-effect to be reduced and the characteristic switching time and relaxation time of 0.5 and 2.5 ms, respectively, to be obtained for a phase retardation of 2π at a wavelength of 0.86 μm.