Prism grating using polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystal

A prism grating using polymer stabilized liquid crystal was fabricated and its diffraction characteristics evaluated. Such a prism grating exhibits not only a periodic grating structure but also a prism-like gradient refractive index within each grating period. As a result, the diffraction behavior is asymmetric. The first order exhibits high diffraction efficiency while the zeroth order has a high extinguishing ratio. The potential application as a beam deflector is emphasized. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.