Abstract

The thin layers of oriented nematic liquid Crystal (NLC) applied to an optical quality surface of different materials as a free interference coating, may visualize through polarizing microscope the microrelief or structure defects on the surfaces due to local deformation of coating with high value of optical anisotropy. Nematic interference layers also allow to visualize the distribution of low power electric or magnetic fields upon the surfaces non-observed through optical microscope [1]. These properties are based on physical parameters of NLC molecules which spontaneously reorient locally in unhomogeneous defect zones or external physical fields distributions. On this basis a new universal nondestructive technique to study surface characteristics was developed

© 1995 Optical Society of America