OLC2025

Ibrahim Abdulhalim

Israel

BEN GURION UNIV OF THE NEGEV

Presentation title: Liquid Crystal Devices for Photonic Applications: Fast Light Modulation, Imaging, and Energy Saving

Biography

Abstract

Faster liquid crystal (LC) devices with sufficiently large electro-optic responses are in high demand for various photonic non-display applications, including imaging, optical telecommunications, and integrated photonics. However, achieving both fast response times and strong electro-optic effects is inherently challenging, as these two characteristics typically compete against each other—a limitation rooted in the linear response theorem. We have been developing several strategies to mitigate the problem lately: (i) tailored design to the specific application, (ii) combining LCs with metasurfaces, (iii) designing nanocavity resonant structures where the optical field is concentrated in a region where the LC responds faster to external perturbations. I will present the concepts and performance of several devices we have developed, which are suitable for fast spectral imaging, fast polarimetric imaging, optical telecommunications, smart windows for energy saving, and integrated photonics. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. References: [1] Majd Abu Aisheh, C. K. Amaljith, I. Abdulhalim, Enhanced Speed and Tunability of Liquid Crystals in Nanocavities via Engineering the Local Electromagnetic Field, ACS Photonics, 12(2), 908-916, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c01916 [2] D. Pasha, Majd Abu Aisheh, M. Abuliel, and I. Abdulhalim, Enhancing the capabilities of liquid crystal-based multispectral imaging by tailoring to the specific application, Optical Engineering 63(12), 123101 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.63.12.123101 [3] Doron Pasha, Marwan J. Abuleil, Isaac August, Ibrahim Abdulhalim, Faster multispectral imager based on thin liquid crystal modulator and 3D neural network lattice, Lasers&Photonics Review 2200913(8p) (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202200913 [4] Majd Abu Aisheh, I. Abdulhalim, Fast Polarization Independent Tunable Liquid Crystal Solc Filter using Sagnac Configuration, Optics Letters 50(5), 1429 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.543067

Tigran Galstian

Canada

Université LavalUniversité Laval (Canada)

Presentation title: Emerging biomedical applications of liquid crystals; the case of microscopy

Abstract

Maria Helena Godinho

Portugal

NOVA University Lisbon

Presentation title: Self-organised cellulose-based liquid crystalline systems: a colourful world of opportunities

Biography

Abstract

Iam-Choon Khoo

USA

Pennsylvania State University

Presentation title: Liquid crystals for nonlinear optical switching and image processing

Biography

Abstract

Liquid Crystals for Nonlinear Optical Switching and Image Processing I. C. Khoo1, Tsung-Hsien Lin2 and C.-W. Chen3 1Department of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA. 1Department of Photonics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan 1 Edward L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. [*Corresponding author: ick1@psu.edu] A review of recent advances [1-4] in molecular assembly of liquid crystalline chiral photonic crystals is presented, particularly on fabrication of >2 mm thick cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC), and large-areal size monocrystalline Blue-phase liquid crystals (BPLC). We will highlight the so-called reverse electrostriction technique [2024] whereby stable large areal size monocrystalline Blue-Phase liquid crystals of various crystalline symmetries can be fabricated in a much shorter time than existing techniques [1]. CLC’s as 1-D chiral photonic crystals possess large ultrafast optical nonlinearity suitable for self-compression, polarization switching and modulation of complex vector beams. The super thick and highly nonlinear CLC’s are estimated to be capable of all optical switching [- phase shift] with low threshold energy fluence of ~ 0.25 J/cm2 and sub-picosecond (~0.1 x 10-12 s) speed. On the other hand, dye-doped large-areal size monocrystalline BPLC will maintain uniform phase front for free-space real-time image processing such as optical phase conjugation with better efficiency and image/signal qualities than their polycrystalline counterparts [5]. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research - Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development; National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan—NSTC112-2223-E-110-004, NSTC113-2112-M-110-020-MY3, and NSTC113-2124-M-110-002-MY3 (T.-H.L.) References 1. D.-Y. Guo et al. Nat. Mater. 19, 94–101 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0512-3 and references quoted therein. 2. C.-W. Chen and I. C. Khoo, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2021, 118 (16), e2021304118 3. C.-W. Chen et al. Appl. Phys. Rev. 10, 011413 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0139168 4. T. H. Lin et al. Nat Commun 15, 7038 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51408-4 5. T.-J. Ho, C.-W. Chen and I. C. Khoo, Liquid Crystals, 2018, 45(13–15), 1944-1952 https://doi.org/10.1080/02678292.2018.1491068.