Dual-frequency liquid crystals as tunable materials for beam steering in terahertz photonics

Dual-frequency liquid crystals as tunable materials for beam steering in terahertz photonics

PHOTONICS LETTERS OF POLAND, VOL. 17 (4), 85-87 (2025) 

Oleksandra Gridyakina1 , Urszula Chodorow , Adrianna Nieradka , Agnieszka Siemion , Janusz Parka , Piotr Lesiak and Tomasz R. Woliński 

Abstract

Dual-frequency liquid crystal (LC) materials for tunable beam steering in the 0.1–3.5 THz range were investigated. Recent LC formulations exhibit a low loss tangent, high polarization coefficients, and significant dielectric and optical anisotropies, including suitably high birefringence for effective THz modulation. We have implemented this material in electrically tunable phase shifters and beam-steering elements, demonstrating their ability to operate with low absorption and controllable birefringence. The obtained characteristics suggest that dual frequency LCs could be used to create compact, efficient, and highly tunable THz photonic and sensing components. This study outlines the performance parameters relevant to practical THz devices and highlights their potential for reconfigurable photonic architectures.

… The measurements of DFLC optical properties were performed using a THz time domain spectroscopy (THzTDS) - the TeraView TeraPulse Lx Modular System at room temperature. To eliminate the adverse effects of atmospheric water vapor, the …