Effect of Phase Retardation on Defect‐Mode Lasing in Polymeric Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Lasing via a phase retardation defect mode is reported for the first time. The Figure shows the far‐field pattern of laser emission realized by inserting an anisotropic nematic liquid crystal (LC) defect layer between polymer cholesteric LC layers. The system mimics the cuticle of Plusiotis resplendens , a beetle, using the birefringence of the anisotropic layer to achieve reflectance greater than the 50 % provided by simple cholesteric LC photonic bandgaps.