All-optically controlled light valve assembled by photorefractive crystal and PDLC hybrid structure

Abstract

A light-valve device, assembled by Ru-doped Bi12SiO20 (BSO) photoconductive substrate and polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer is proposed, in which all the processes are controlled by the near infrared light. Laser beam illumination (Gaussian shape) on BSO:Ru crystal caused charge carriers generation, which migrate and form an inhomogeneous distribution and subsequent space charge field. This surface-localized electromagnetic field penetrates into the PDLC layer and modulate the orientation of the liquid crystals, that caused reverse of the device initial opaque state to the highly transparent one. The proposed structure is simple and easy to fabricate, without requirements of ITO contacts and alignment layers and opens further possibilities for near-infrared applications.