ANALYSIS OF OPTICALLY INDUCED REFRACTIVE INDEX CHANGE OF DYE-DOPED NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS

We present a detailed quantitative experimental and theoretical study of laser induced refractive index changes in nematic liquid crystals doped with methyl-red, disperse red and azobenzene liquid crystal. These refractive index changes, originating from molecular reorientations and order parameter modification, are measured by means of intensity and polarization grating methods. The reorientation of the director axis is calculated from polarization dependence of the probe beam diffraction efficiency. The contribution of each effect to the total diffraction efficiency is quantitatively evaluated. In general, we found that the reorientational direction of the NLC molecules depends on the dopants as well as the nature of the pump beam polarization state. In methyl-red doped samples, the laser induced reorientation mechanism dominates, whereas order parameter modification plays a major role in the others.