Characterization of optically thin cells and experimental liquid crystals.

The current development of new liquid crystal devices often requires the use of thin cells and new experimental materials. Characterizing these devices and materials with optical methods can be challenging if (1) the total phase lag is small ("thin cells") or (2) the liquid crystal optical and dielectric properties are only partially known. We explore the limitations of these two challenges for efficient characterization and assessment of new, to the best of our knowledge, liquid crystal devices.