Optical systems and methods for rapid screening of libraries of different materials

A system for characterizing orientational order of an array of materials, comprising:

• a substrate containing said array of materials, wherein said substrate is transparent to light of a predefined wavelength;
• a light source providing polarized light of said predefined wavelength, said light source located on a first side of said array of materials;
• an optical system for directing said polarized light at at least a first material of said array of materials;
• and
• a detector located on a second side of said array of materials, said detector outputting a signal corresponding to an intensity of said polarized light passing through said first material and said substrate, wherein said intensity provides information on the orientational order of said first material.

A method of characterizing a dielectric coefficient of each material of an array of materials, comprising the steps of:

• providing a conducting substrate;
• synthesizing said array of materials on said conducting substrate;
• depositing an optically active layer onto said array of materials, wherein said optically active layer is comprised of an ferro-electric material;
• depositing a conducting layer onto said optically active layer;
• illuminating said ferro-electric material with a beam of polarized light;
• applying an increasing voltage between said conducting substrate and said conducting layer;
• and
• detecting a polarization change for each of said materials of said array of materials as a function of applied voltage.

A system for characterizing a dielectric coefficient of each material of an array of materials, comprising:

• a conducting substrate, wherein said array of materials is deposited on said conducting substrate;
• an optically active layer deposited onto said array of materials, wherein said optically active layer is comprised of an ferro-electric material;
• a conducting layer deposited onto said optically active layer;
• a voltage source coupled to said conducting substrate and said conducting layer;
• a light source, wherein said light source directs a beam of polarized light at said ferro-electric material;
• a source controller, wherein said controller causes said source to apply a gradually increasing voltage to said substrate and said conducting layer;
• and
• a polarization sensitive detector adjacent to said conducting layer, said detector determining a first occurrence of a shift in polarization for each material of said array of materials.

A method of characterizing a Kerr rotation for each material of a heterogeneous array of materials, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate;
• synthesizing said heterogeneous array of materials on said substrate;
• depositing a uniform layer of a known Kerr rotation on to said array of materials, wherein said uniform layer reflects the magnetization of a material of said heterogeneous array immediately adjacent to said uniform layer;
• illuminating said uniform layer with polarized light;
• passing said polarized light reflected by said uniform layer through a polarizer set near the extinction value of said light;
• applying a varying magnetic field to said heterogeneous array of materials;
• monitoring an intensity of said reflected light as a function of said varying magnetic field , wherein said intensity is monitored for a plurality of locations corresponding to said materials of said heterogeneous array of materials, wherein said intensity is proportional to said Kerr rotation for each material of said heterogeneous array of materials.

A system for characterizing a Kerr rotation for each material of a heterogeneous array of materials, comprising:

• a substrates wherein said array of materials is deposited on said substrate;
• a uniform layer of a known Kerr rotation deposited onto said array of materials;
• a light source, wherein said light source directs a beam of polarized light at said uniform layer;
• a polarizer set near the extinction value of said light, wherein light reflected from said uniform layer passes through said polarizer;
• a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field to said heterogeneous array of materials;
• a field generator controller for varying said magnetic field;
• a position sensitive detection system f or monitoring an intensity of reflected light for a plurality of locations corresponding to said materials of said heterogeneous array of materials, wherein said detection system outputs a signal corresponding to said intensity;
• and
• a processor coupled to said detection system, wherein said processor determines said Kerr rotation for each material of said heterogeneous array of materials based on said intensity.