Electrooptic response of the reflective liquid crystal cell: Intensity and phase behaviors

Abstract

The electrooptic characteristics of a reflective mode, 45 degrees-twisted nematic liquid crystal [E7] cell in the voltage regions above and below Freedericksz transition threshold were investigated for the intensity and phase of the reflected wave. Oscillatory behavior in the parallel reflectivity was observed in the regime of 2.96 pi greater than or equal to 2 beta (phase retardation) greater than or equal to 1.94 pi. This phenomenon was found to be due to the multiple reflections between the glass-indium tin oxide interface and the aluminium reflecting surface. In the regime of 1.94 pi greater than or equal to 2 beta greater than or equal to 0.72 pi, a 100% modulation efficiency was achieved for the perpendicular configuration. The phase characteristic of the reflected wave was found to be closely related to the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer.