ABSTRACT
Commercially available polysiloxane resins can be blended either in the solid state or in solution to produce optically transparent films whose refractive index is a linear function of the weight percent of one component. Useful applications for these "glass resins" include protective coatings for hydroscopic optical crystals, antireflective or index-matching films, and homeotropic alignment layers for liquid crystal devices.
ABSTRACT
A nematic polymer liquid crystal is used to construct wave plates for use at 1054 nm. Three methods of wave-plate construction are discussed: double substrate with fiber spacers in homogeneous distribution, double substrate with fiber spacers in annular distribution, and single substrate. The polymer liquid crystal shows high laser-damage resistance, making it particularly useful for high-peak-power laser applications. Alignment techniques and measurement of birefringence for the highly viscous polymer are described.
