HOLOGRAPHIC GRATING BASED ON DYE-DOPED SURFACE-STABLIZED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL FILMS

A surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC) film, doped with an azo dye, methyl red (MR), is fabricated. A holographic grating is written in this film, using two coherent Ar+ laser beams. Such a grating is formed by the re-orientation of the liquid crystal molecules caused by interaction with the photo-induced adsorption of the doped azo dyes. Experimental results show that the formed grating is permanent but electrically switchable, with a field of ~0.08 V/μm.