Abstract

The application of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLC) with microsecond switching speeds to optical parallel processing is described. These FLC devices operate in the smectic C phase and can be built in array configurations. A voltage applied to semitransparent electrodes attached to the crystal switches the device from a transparent state to an opaque state. Combinations of FLC devices are used to build optical parallel logic gates which perform Boolean operations. The design and implementation of a FLC logic gate is described, along with parameters affecting the performance of the gate, including optical crosstalk, contrast ratio, frequency response, and switching speeds.

© 1986 Optical Society of America