Multi-dimensional photoalignment of photoreactive polymer liquid crystals and generation of anisotropic photonic devices

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The increasing need to realize the very small scale of digital compact camera, develop the high-contrast information display and high-density optical memory, has stimulated interest in highly functionalized optical devices. Diffractive optical devices are of great importance for realizing numerical optical functions such as optical memory devices, integrated optical devices, and thin film optical filters. It is possible to fabricate diffractive optical devices by exposing light sensitive materials such as photopolymers to interference light. The resulting gratings can control light propagation directions and can be used in optoelectronic equipments. In order for diffraction optical devices to play more important roles in optical information processing systems, higher functions should be added to optical gratings. It is believed that if anisotropic rather than isotropic materials for optical gratings were used, then polarization controllable diffractive devices could be developed. In the preset study we have been successfully fabricate several kinds of highly-functionalized (polarized) optical devices by using the photoalignment technique, i.e. 1) polarization multiplex recording, 2) polarization converted gratings, 3) liquid crystalline grating cells, and 4) three-dimensional holographic devices.