Periodically aligned liquid crystal: Potential application for projection displays

A nematic liquid crystal (NLC) layer with the anisotropy axis modulated at a fixed rate q in the transverse direction is considered. If the layer locally constitutes a half-wave plate, then the thin-screen approximation predicts 100% efficient diffraction of a normal incident wave. The possibility of implementing such a layer via anchoring at both surfaces of a cell with thickness L is studied as a function of parameter qL, and threshold values of this parameter are found for a variety of cases. Distortions of the structure of the director in comparison with the ideal profile are found via numerical modeling. Freedericksz transition is studied for this configuration. Coupled-mode theory is applied to light propagation through such a cell allowing to account for walk-off effects and effects of nematic distortion. In summary, this cell is suggested as a means for projection display; high efficiency is predicted.