Jull, EIL orcid.org/0000-0003-3228-1348 and Gleeson, HF orcid.org/0000-0002-7494-2100 (2018) An all-optical responsive azo-doped liquid crystal laser protection filter. Optics Express, 26 (26). ISSN 1094-4087
Abstract
An all-optical switchable twisted nematic liquid crystal system has been designed for use as a laser protection filter, taking advantage of light-induced modification of liquid crystal order. The filter employs photochromic azo-doped liquid crystal mixtures that have been optically characterized and incorporated into a laser filter device. The ability to switch between transmission and blocking modes is shown to occur even for incredibly low intensity (0.5 mW) irradiation with a continuous 405 nm laser. The blocking-state extinction is defined only by the polariser extinction ratio, and sub-second switching is demonstrated for these low laser intensities. The response is sufficiently fast to provide protection for CCD cameras against laser damage. The optical switching time is shown to depend on both temperature and laser power. This automatic photo-switchable device offers an exciting approach for passive laser protection.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | Published by The Optical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. |
Keywords: | liquid crystals; photosensitive materials; laser safety and eye protection |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) > Soft Matter Physics (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 27 Nov 2018 11:54 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 21:36 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Optical Society of America (OSA) |
Identification Number: | 10.1364/OE.26.034179 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:138956 |