One‐ and Two‐Dimensionally Structured Polymer Networks in Liquid Crystals for Switchable Diffractive Optical Applications

Abstract

Abstract We have created one‐ and two‐dimensionally structured polymer networks dispersed in a liquid‐crystal solvent using a holographic exposure technique. These structures have potential for electrically switchable, reverse‐mode, polarization selective and non‐selective diffractive optical elements. Using a simple phenomenological model to describe our diffraction measurements in conjunction with microscopic studies, we are able to estimate the structured polymer wall thickness as a function of monomer concentration.