A High-Pressure 3 He Neutron Spin Filter

Not Available The objective of this proposal is to develop newly discovered highly nonlinear Photosensitive Liquid Crystalline (PLC) materials that a) possess photosensitivity comparable to that of photoconductive semiconductors used in LC spatial light modulators, and b) allow extremely strong modulation of the refractive index (modulation of birefringence) typical of LC. Such unique combination of photosensitivity and large optically induced index modulation property of LC will make PLC the prime candidate material for a new generation of high performance holographic devices, optical limiters, spatial light modulators (SLM) and other signal/image processing and optically or electronically tunable diffractive devices. PLC materials, by integrating the phase modulating capability and photosensitivity into a single medium, would dramatically simplify the SLM manufacturing technology by eliminating the most costly and troublesome process of incorporating semiconductor layer onto the substrate of the LC-cell. In PLC materials, the nonlinear index modulation is caused by photogenerated space charge fields throughout the bulk of the film enabling large phase modulation, higher spatial resolution and faster response times. Our main effort in Phase I would be to fully develop the material, and identify the optimum material composition through quantitative studies of the underlying nonlinear index modulation mechanisms and dynamic holographic processes.