Bistable Optically Addressed Spatial Light Modulator for Optical Computing

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This award will develop a family of novel optical devices based on optically addressed spatial light modulators employing polarization selective reflectors. These devices can exhibit optical bistability at very low light levels, hence should be useful for a wide variety of optical processing applications, including memory. The proposed devices will combine our already demonstrated high performance spatial light modulators with reflectors made from circularly dichroic thin films of cholesteric liquid crystal polymer. The cholesteric liquid crystal polymer is intensely circularly dichroic, potentially cheap, and durable enough to make readily formed free-standing films. Furthermore its optical properties are virtually temperature insensitive. In phase I of our proposed SBIR work, we will synthesize a previously demonstrated cholesteric liquid crystal polymer and form a circularly dichroic thin film reflector. In phase II our proposed work, we will modify a Displaytech optically addressed spatial light modulator by sandwiching the circular dichroic reflector between photosensing layer and the refractive layer. We will also develop the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer into a useful optical material for optical material for optical isolators, durable laser blocking filters, and dichroic mirror coatings.