Abstract

Throughout the visible, near- and far-infrared spectral regimes, the extraordinarily large Kerrlike non linearities of liquid crystals may be utilized in conjunction with newly observed multiwave mixing (stationary and transient) effects for applications in phase conjugation and other self-pumped oscillators. For long wavelengths, or small wave mixing angles, the usual thin film geometries of liquid crystals naturally produce side diffractions; also, the Kerrlike responses of liquid crystals give rise to strong phase modulation effects. Our theories quantitatively account for these factors as well as other equally important intensity, temporal, and material parameters.

© 1991 Optical Society of America