New fast-relaxed liquid crystal materials for optical communication networks

Abstract

Recording the dynamic holograms with microsecond relaxation times under action of laser pulses was obtained in composites based on the novel class of liquid crystals (LC), namely in ionic metal-alkanoates. Holographic parameters of the recording and relaxation characteristics were studied for doped lyotropic ionic LC and sandwich-like cells with photo-sensitive impurities for purposes of real-time dynamic holography applications. The thin cells demonstrate high-velocity dynamic grating recording under laser pulses both of nanosecond and picosecond durations at the visible wavelengths. The cells exhibit a fast temperature relaxation time (with the time constant 30 μs for the store heat density more than 50 kJ/s). Ionic lyotropic smectic LCs possess a high intrinsic anisotropic conductivity as compared with other LCs – dielectrics. To explain the relaxation mechanisms in ionic smectic LC matrix, the temperature dependences of the electro-conductivity have been investigated. The charge currier mobility and activation energy in cells were estimated. The mechanism of high-velocity resonance nonlinearity due to the saturation of excited states in photosensitive centers and mechanisms of the grating erasure connected with charge transport in the ionic LC matrix were discussed.