Liquid crystalline optical filter
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorFranklin D. Saeva
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The optical transitions of extrinsically optically active insoluble materials become optically active and circularly dichroic when in contact with optically negative liquid crystalline materials thereby providing unusual and highly advantageous properties. The circularly dichroic optical properties induced in the extrinsically optically active insoluble materials can be utilized for optical filter applications.
Claims10
A method for removing predetermined amounts of circularly polarized light at at least one wavelength, .lambda., from incident radiation comprising:
- a. providing a circularly polarized light source;
- b. providing an optical filter comprising at least one optically negative liquid crystalline material in contact with at least one insoluble material, said insoluble material becoming extrinsically optically active upon contact with said optically negative liquid crystalline material, and having a light absorption band defining a region of interest which includes said at least one wavelength .lambda.;
- and
- c. directing light from said light source upon said optical filter thereby removing from said incident radiation predetermined amounts of circularly polarized light of wavelength .lambda..
A method for removing predetermined amounts of light at at least one wavelength, .lambda., from incident radiation comprising:
- a. providing a circularly polarized light source;
- b. providing an optical filter comprising at least one pair of liquid crystalline films having optically negative characteristics, each liquid crystalline film of said pair (1) comprising an optically negative liquid crystalline material having an intrinsic rotary sense opposite to the other, and (2) being in contact with at least one insoluble material, said insoluble material becoming extrinsically optically active upon contact with said optically negative liquid crystalline material and having a light absorption band defining a region of interest which includes said at least one wavelength .lambda.;
- each of said at least one insoluble material having induced circular dichroism of sign opposite to that of the other of said at least one insoluble material, when in contact with a respective liquid crystal film of said at least one pair of said liquid crystal films;
- each of said absorption bands having at least said one wavelength .lambda. in common;
- and
- c. directing light from said light source upon said optical filter thereby removing from said incident radiation predetermined amounts of light at said at least one wavelength in common.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.