Polarization-Independent Electrically Tunable Holographic Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals Grating Doped with Chiral Molecules

This study proposes a holographic grating made of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), with a small amount of chiral molecules doped into PDLC material. The major advantage of this grating is that it is independent of light polarization. This characteristic was verified by applying the interference beam intensity of a He-Cd laser at 150 mW/cm(2), with an incidence angle between the two interference beams of 24 degrees, for an irradiation curing duration of 120 s. The observed periodic structure of the grating is consistent with the theoretical value. As chiral molecules are doped, nematic-LC experiences a phase-change in the grating. However, the electro-optical features are only slightly affected. This proposed grating has greatly potential in 3D imaging because of its polarization-independent feature.