Temperature dependence of anisotropic diffraction in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal memory.

Grating devices using photosensitive organic materials play an important role in the development of optical and optoelectronic systems. High diffraction efficiency and polarization dependence achieved in a holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) grating are expected to provide polarization-controllable optical devices, such as a holographic memory for optically reconfigurable gate arrays (ORGAs). However, the optical property is affected by the thermal modulation around the transition temperature (T(ni)) where the liquid crystal (LC) changes from nematic to isotropic phases. The temperature dependence of the diffraction efficiency in HPDLC grating is investigated using four types of LC composites comprised of LCs and monomers having different physical properties such as T(ni) and anisotropic refractive indices. The holographic memory formed by the LC with low anisotropic refractive index and LC diacrylate monomer implements optical reconfiguration for ORGAs at a high temperature beyond T(ni) of LC.