Electro-optical characterization of switchable Bragg gratings based on nematic liquid crystal-photopolymer composites with spatially ordered structure

The composite materials with spatially alternating polymer-rich and nematic liquid crystal-rich layers have been obtained and optical effects in these materials studied. The periodic structure of the composites and small sizes of their structural elements enable improved operating parameters of electro-optical devices: increased contrast ratio, shorter switching times, and lower reorientation fields. The composite materials obtained may also find applications in switchable diffractive optics.