Infrared Extinction of a Dye-Doped (Polymer/Liquid Crystal) Composite Film

Crystals

Seiji Fukushima¹  Kazuhiro Ariki¹  Koki Yoshinaga¹  Hiroki Higuchi²  Hirotsugu Kikuchi² 

[1] Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan; E-Mails:;Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen, Kasuga-shi, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan; E-Mails:

关键词: liquid crystal;    variable optical attenuator;    dichroic dye;    light scattering;    composite film;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cryst5010163

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Infrared extinction of a dye-doped (polymer/liquid crystal) composite film was investigated. It is found that doping a metal-complex dye into the liquid crystal extended the operation wavelength to an optical fiber communication wavelength of about 1.5 μm. An aperture placed behind the composite film greatly improves an extinction ratio, which suggests the film functions on the basis of light scattering. Some experimental results agree to Rayleigh scattering. The film exhibits the high extinction ratio of 51 or 17.1 dB and a low polarization dependent loss of 7.6% or 0.32 dB and, then, it could be applied to a telecommunication device such as a variable optical attenuator.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.