Justin Kenny with Ken Singer

Surface Electromagnetic Waves in Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Surface electromagnetic waves (SEWs) are predicted to form on the surface of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) at an interface when interacting with light. In theory the presence of SEWs is dependent on the frequency of the incident light, the angle of incidence of the incoming light relative to the sample, and the incident azimuthal angle relative to the director on the surface of the CLC. The theory of SEW formation will be explored and verified experimentally using the ATR (Attenuated Total Reflection) method.