A linear-polarization rotator based on the optically tunable pitch of chiral-azobenzene-doped liquid crystals (CAdLCs) has been investigated. It is shown that the orientation of linearly polarized (LP) light can be optically tuned using CAdLCs and that the transmitted light possesses a good degree of linear polarization (DoLP). Experimental and simulation (4 × 4 Berreman matrix) results show that the rotation angle is dependent on the pitch as well as the number of turns of the cholesteric LC helix. Some causes to affect the DoLP of the output LP lights during photoisomerization are also discussed. Moreover, a calibration term, β(t), is also introduced to elucidate the behavior of the discontinuous change of the CAdLC pitch in a fixed cell thickness.
Keywords: chiral azobenzene; liquid crystal; polarization.