Voltage-controlled pulsations of a liquid-crystalline fiber coupler

Abstract

Very slow spontaneous electrohydrodynamic pulsations in the long-range molecular structure of a thin nematic liquid-crystalline (NLC) layer sandwiched (in a unique sensing geometry) between two side-polished single-mode fibers are reported. These pulsations appear above a certain threshold dc voltage level (applied to electrodes built into the coupler), beyond which their frequency is proportional to the voltage. The organizational changes induced in the NLC layer by these pulsations cause alterations in the splitting ratio of the coupler, providing one with a convenient means of following their behavior. © 1986 Optical Society of America.