Investigations of Director Field Arrangement Induced in Tunable Liquid Crystalline Waveguide

Measurements of the refractive index profile have been made to provide data for obtaining local optical axis arrangement in the waveguide cross-section. Liquid crystalline planar waveguide tuned with the electric field has been used. A new approach is proposed to accomplish refractive index profile measurements in a direct way. The modal line method is presented as a tool that allows one to do it and to improve the attenuated total reflection disadvantages as well. The obtained results maintain applicability of the modal line method for a direct refractive index profile measurement. To verify the method, nematic 6CHBT (4-trans-4-n-hexyl-cyclohexyl- isothiocyanatobenzene) described earlier in the literature has been examined. A nematic mixture W602 contained 6CHBT as a main component has been examined too.