Cholesteric liquid crystal mirror-based imaging Stokes polarimeter.

We have developed a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) mirror-based innovative model for detection and visualization of images in turbid media. Due to its unique optical-polarization properties, the CLC mirror is suggested as the basic element of the imaging Stokes polarimeter. The particular design of the proposed polarimeter, coupled with its distinguished operational simplicity, reliability, and real-time operational facilities, promises to fabricate a new generation of the imaging Stokes polarimeter, which can find applications in areas such as diagnostics, biology, astronomy, and remote sensing.

Cholesteric liquid crystal holographic laser.

A new type of lasing was obtained on the basis of a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal laser with transversally distributed excitation. Two coherent beams of the pumping laser formed an interference pattern in the planar dye-doped cholesteric layer and provided laser generation in the separate narrow strips of the pumped area. Each of the strips demonstrated lasing along the cholesteric axis.

On the reversibility of Weigert's effect in azo-dye-colored materials.

The dynamic process of the multiple generation and deletion of anisotropy with linearly polarized actinic light is investigated experimentally in azo-dye-colored gelatin. The results of the investigation are in good compliance with the possible mechanism of anisotropy generation in the azo-dye-colored materials proposed by the author [Z. V.

Self-recording phenomenon in the process of reconstruction from a highly efficient dynamic hologram on azo-dye-colored material with powerful Weigert's effect.

The dynamic process of highly efficient holographic recording of two orthogonally circularly polarized plane light waves on the azo-dye-colored gelatin with powerful Weigert's effect is investigated. The investigation has shown that at some ratios of the intensities of the recording waves the self-recording phenomenon during the reconstruction process by the same actinic light (lambda=488.0 nm) is observed, and the diffractive efficiency for the probe light (lambda=632.

Holographic chiral structure on the basis of Weigert's effect.

A simple analysis of the possibility of creating a holographic chiral structure on the basis of Weigert's effect with help of the Jones vector-matrix method was done, to my knowledge, for the first time. A corresponding experiment was also conducted. The results of the investigation show that the diffractive optical element obtained behaves similarly to liquid crystals or sculptured thin films with chiral structures.

One more possible mechanism of Weigert's effect in azo-dye-colored materials.

One of the purposes of investigating the mechanisms of Weigert's effect in azo-dye-colored materials is the search for ways to improve their corresponding characteristics. So far the suggested mechanisms based on the isomerization process of the molecules of the dyes do not account for some facts that take place in this case. I present some results of the investigation of Weigert's effect in azo-dye-colored materials and propose a possible new mechanism.