ENHANCEMENT OF SMA-ASTERISK LIQUID-CRYSTAL ELECTROCLINIC ELECTROOPTICEFFECTS USING RESONATED COMPOUND VARIABLE RETARDERS

A reflection-mode resonated compound variable retarder is used to enha nce the electroclinic electro-optic effect in a planar aligned Smectic A (SmA*) liquid crystal, which has potential applications in low vol tage and high speed spatial light modulators such as the silicon VLSI optical interconnects. The device consists of a passive quarter-wave p late and an active SmA liquid crystal quarter-wave plate inside an as ymmetric Gires-Tournois cavity In principle, the induced SmA liquid c rystal switching angle required for maximum possible intensity, modula tion can be < 3 degrees. A proof-of-principle experiment has confirmed the proposed scheme with preliminary results showing that a switching angle of about 11 degrees is required for the maximum possible modula tion. The current enhancement, which is limited by the intracavity los s, compares well with a theoretical model.