All-optical switching of liquid crystals at terahertz frequencies enabled by metamaterials
All-optical switching of liquid crystals at terahertz frequencies enabled by metamaterials
Nematic liquid crystals integrated with metallic resonators (metamaterials) are intriguing hybrid systems, which not only offer added optical functionalities, but also promote strong light-matter interactions. In this report, we show with an analytical model that the electric field generated by a conventional oscillator-based terahertz time domain spectrometer is strong enough to induce partial, all-optical switching of nematic liquid crystals in such hybrid systems. Our analysis provides a robust theoretical footing for the mechanism of all-optical nonlinearity of liquid crystals, which was recently hypothesised to explain an anomalous resonance frequency shift in liquid crystal-loaded terahertz metamaterials. The integration of metallic resonators with nematic liquid crystals offers a robust approach to explore optical nonlinearity within such hybrid material systems in the terahertz range; paves the way towards increased efficiency of existing devices; and broadens the range of applications of liquid crystals in the terahertz frequency range.
liquid crystals, metamaterials, optical nonlinearity, terahertz
18336-18345
Beddoes, Benjamin
35375a11-5785-4874-a0a8-88b50be6cede
Perivolari, Eleni
a65ec857-cf22-497d-bdb4-66fb449751d3
Kaczmarek, Malgosia
408ec59b-8dba-41c1-89d0-af846d1bf327
Apostolopoulos, Vasileios
8a898740-4c71-4040-a577-9b9d70530b4d
Fedotov, Vasily
3725f5cc-2d0b-4e61-95c5-26d187c84f25
22 May 2023
Beddoes, Benjamin
35375a11-5785-4874-a0a8-88b50be6cede
Perivolari, Eleni
a65ec857-cf22-497d-bdb4-66fb449751d3
Kaczmarek, Malgosia
408ec59b-8dba-41c1-89d0-af846d1bf327
Apostolopoulos, Vasileios
8a898740-4c71-4040-a577-9b9d70530b4d
Fedotov, Vasily
3725f5cc-2d0b-4e61-95c5-26d187c84f25
Beddoes, Benjamin, Perivolari, Eleni, Kaczmarek, Malgosia, Apostolopoulos, Vasileios and Fedotov, Vasily
(2023)
All-optical switching of liquid crystals at terahertz frequencies enabled by metamaterials.
Optics Express, 31 (11), .
(doi:10.1364/OE.488360).
Abstract
Nematic liquid crystals integrated with metallic resonators (metamaterials) are intriguing hybrid systems, which not only offer added optical functionalities, but also promote strong light-matter interactions. In this report, we show with an analytical model that the electric field generated by a conventional oscillator-based terahertz time domain spectrometer is strong enough to induce partial, all-optical switching of nematic liquid crystals in such hybrid systems. Our analysis provides a robust theoretical footing for the mechanism of all-optical nonlinearity of liquid crystals, which was recently hypothesised to explain an anomalous resonance frequency shift in liquid crystal-loaded terahertz metamaterials. The integration of metallic resonators with nematic liquid crystals offers a robust approach to explore optical nonlinearity within such hybrid material systems in the terahertz range; paves the way towards increased efficiency of existing devices; and broadens the range of applications of liquid crystals in the terahertz frequency range.
Text
All_Optical_Switching_of_Liquid_Crystals_at_Terahertz_Frequencies_Enabled_by_Metamaterials
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
oe-31-11-18336
- Version of Record
More information
In preparation date: 23 February 2023
Accepted/In Press date: 15 May 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 May 2023
Published date: 22 May 2023
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 OSA - The Optical Society. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
liquid crystals, metamaterials, optical nonlinearity, terahertz
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 477008
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477008
ISSN: 1094-4087
PURE UUID: 9e4b2cf7-e868-4bf0-8fd3-2fc2511b5bc5
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 23 May 2023 16:43
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:12
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Contributors
Author:
Benjamin Beddoes
Author:
Eleni Perivolari
Author:
Vasily Fedotov
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