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Transient grating optical nonlinearities in nematic, cholesteric and smectic liquid crystals

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Abstract

The transients of Kerr-like optical nonlinearities in various liquid crystals observed with picosecond light-induced dynamic gratings are discussed. It is shown that relatively high intensities and strong optical fields of short laser pulses lead to rapid molecular reorientation, ultrasound generation, multiphoton absorption, cholesteric helix deformation and other new phenomena which are not only of interest for basic liquid-crystal research but also determine photonic switching times in liquid crystalline all-optical devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Optisches Institut, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623, Berlin, Germany

    R. Macdonald & H. J. Eichler

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  1. R. Macdonald
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  2. H. J. Eichler
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Macdonald, R., Eichler, H.J. Transient grating optical nonlinearities in nematic, cholesteric and smectic liquid crystals. Appl. Phys. B 60, 543–552 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01080933

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