Axial polarizers based on dichroic liquid crystals

Polarizers capable of producing linearly polarized beams with axial (radial and azimuthal) symmetry have been fabricated with the aid of a dichroic liquid crystal. Photoalignment was achieved using a printing technique to reduce the UV exposure time required for production of axially aligning substrates from 1 h, typical for direct writing techniques, to 10 min. The polarizing features of axial polarizers and their pairs are characterized and their differences outlined. We demonstrate that the transmission switching contrast of an axial polarizer/analyzer pair, comprised of an electrically controlled liquid crystal cell, is comparable to conventional systems with linear polarizers. The opportunities for using axial polarizers for polarization imaging, sensor protection, and nonlinear optics are discussed. Particularly, we show that the technology could reduce the fluence of a laser beam on an optical sensor without affecting imaging. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3460810]