Optical diffraction from a liquid crystal phase grating

Abstract

The finite-difference time-domain method has been used in the numerical analysis of the optical diffraction properties of a liquid crystal phase grating. The grating is formed using a nematic material that is switched using striped electrodes with a unity mark-space ratio. Three different surface pretilts have been investigated: 0°, 30° parallel, and 30°antiparallel. The tilt geometry determines the degree of suppression of the zero order and the asymmetry of the diffraction. Highly efficient beam-steering devices are shown to be possible using the antiparallel tilt alignment. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.