Abstract

We analyze in detail the on-state optical performance of a liquid-crystal image transducer (LCIT) developed at Hughes Research Laboratories. We first calculate how the 45° twisted nematic configuration of the liquid crystal in the transducer is distorted by an applied electric field. Then, using the results of this calculation, we compute the intensity and phase of the monochromatic output light from the LCIT as a function of transducer parameters and operating conditions. We find that the output light intensity is very sensitive to liquid-crystal thickness and is strongly influenced by other, optically isotropic, layers in the LCIT. We also analyze the phase behavior of the light emerging from the transducer. Our calculations agree very well with the measured phase response. Both theory and experiment predict that a coherent light image produced by the LCIT will have an appreciable phase component which, if properly controlled, might be exploited in optical data-processing applications.

© 1980 Optical Society of America

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