Recent advances in liquid-crystal fiber optics and photonics

T. R. Woliński; A. Siarkowska; D. Budaszewski; M. Chychłowski; A. Czapla; S. Ertman; P. Lesiak; K. A. Rutkowska; K. Orzechowski; M. Sala-Tefelska; M. Sierakowski; R. Dąbrowski; B. Bartosewicz; B. Jankiewicz; E. Nowinowski-Kruszelnicki; P. Mergo

doi:10.1117/12.2261115

15 February 2017 Recent advances in liquid-crystal fiber optics and photonics

T. R. Woliński, A. Siarkowska, D. Budaszewski, M. Chychłowski, A. Czapla, S. Ertman, P. Lesiak, K. A. Rutkowska, K. Orzechowski, M. Sala-Tefelska, M. Sierakowski, R. Dąbrowski, B. Bartosewicz, B. Jankiewicz, E. Nowinowski-Kruszelnicki, P. Mergo

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10125, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XII; 101250W (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2261115
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2017, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Liquid crystals over the last two decades have been successfully used to infiltrate fiber-optic and photonic structures initially including hollow-core fibers and recently micro-structured photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). As a result photonic liquid crystal fibers (PLCFs) have been created as a new type of micro-structured fibers that benefit from a merge of “passive” PCF host structures with “active” LC guest materials and are responsible for diversity of new and uncommon spectral, propagation, and polarization properties. This combination has simultaneously boosted research activities in both fields of Liquid Crystals Photonics and Fiber Optics by demonstrating that optical fibers can be more “special” than previously thought. Simultaneously, photonic liquid crystal fibers create a new class of fiber-optic devices that utilize unique properties of the photonic crystal fibers and tunable properties of LCs. Compared to „classical” photonic crystal fibers, PLCFs can demonstrate greatly improved control over their optical properties. The paper discusses the latest advances in this field comprising PLCFs that are based on nanoparticles-doped LCs. Doping of LCs with nanoparticles has recently become a common method of improving their optical, magnetic, electrical, and physical properties. Such a combination of nanoparticles-based liquid crystals and photonic crystal fibers can be considered as a next milestone in developing a new class of fiber-based optofluidic systems.

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T. R. Woliński, A. Siarkowska, D. Budaszewski, M. Chychłowski, A. Czapla, S. Ertman, P. Lesiak, K. A. Rutkowska, K. Orzechowski, M. Sala-Tefelska, M. Sierakowski, R. Dąbrowski, B. Bartosewicz, B. Jankiewicz, E. Nowinowski-Kruszelnicki, and P. Mergo "Recent advances in liquid-crystal fiber optics and photonics", Proc. SPIE 10125, Emerging Liquid Crystal Technologies XII, 101250W (15 February 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2261115

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