1 Light Propagation in Uniaxial Media

We consider here light propagation in uniaxial materials without absorption.

Most nematic liquid crystals are e¤ectively in this category. We need to solve
Maxwell’s equations; speci…cally, for monochromatic plane waves,
^ D =0
k (1)

and v
2
(I
k ^ = ! "o o "r E
^k)E (2)
k2
We note that "r is the relative dielectric constant tensor. Usually, the direction
of propagation k^ is known, we are interested in knowing the directions of the
eigenvectors E and the velocity of propagation, or, equivalently, k. First we
consider the dielectric constant tensor.

2 The Dielectric Constant Tensor "r .

If a polarizable uniaxial liquid crystal molecule with orientation ^l is placed in a
…eld E, the induced polarization p is given by

p= ^ E)^l +
jj (l ? (E (^l E)^l (3)

or, writing this in tensor notation,

p=( ^^ +
jj ll ? (I
^l^l))E (4)

The molecular polarizability tensor is thus

= ?I +( jj
^^
? )ll (5)

This can also be written as

jj +2 ? 2 1 ^^
= I+ ( jj ?) (3ll I) (6)
3 3 2
and averaging this over all molecules (or for a single molecule over time) gives

jj +2 ? 2 1 ^^
< >= I+ ( jj ?) < (3ll I) > (7)
3 3 2
The quantity < 21 (3^l^l I) > is just the order parameter tensor. For uniaxial
materials it can be written as
1 ^^ 1
< (3ll I) >=S (3^
nn^ I) (8)
2 2
where n
^ is the director and S is the scalar uniaxial order parameter, and
jj +2 ? 2 1
< >= I+ ( jj ? )S (3^
nn^ I) (9)
3 3 2

1
The polarization P is just p where is the number density; so

jj +2 ? 2 1
P= p= < >E=( I+ ( jj ? )S (3^
nn^ I))E (10)
3 3 2
Now we can determine the dielectric constant, since

D ="o "r E ="o E + P (11)

and
jj +2 ? 2 1
"o "r E ="o (I + I+ ( jj ? )S (3^
nn^ I))E (12)
3"o 3"o 2
and …nally we get for uniaxial materials

jj +2 ? 2 1
"r = I + I+ ( jj ? )S (3^
nn^ I) (13)
3"o 3"o 2
We note that the above expression is only approximate, since we did not take
into account the fact that the local …eld acting on a molecule di¤ers from the
macroscopic Maxwell …eld E. We have also ignored permanent contributions
from permanent dipoles (this is a good approximation at optical frequencies).
The expression for "r is often written as

"r = "? I + ("jj "? )^

nn^ (14)

"jj = jj 13 (1 + 2S) + ? 23 (1 S) and "? = 1

jj 3 (1 S) + 2
? 3 (1 + 12 S). It
useful to compute the inverse of "r ; it is
1 1 1
"r 1 = I +( )^
nn^ (15)
"? "jj "?

3 Solution of Maxwell’s Equation for the Prop-

agating Eigenmodes
Now we solve Maxwell’s Equations. We start with
2
(I k ^ = ! "o
^k)E o
"r E (16)
k2
^ and the dielectric tensor
and again we assume that the direction of propagation k
"r (and its inverse) are known. We note that ! "o o = ! 2 =c2 = (2 = o )2 and
2

k = 2 = = 2 n= o , so ! 2 "o o =k 2 = 1=n2 where n is the refractive index. The

equation
"r 1 (I k ^ =1E
^k)E (17)
n2
is a standard eigenvalue equation, where the eigenvalues determine the refrac-
tive index (and the speed of propagation), and the eigenvectors determine the
direction of E (and D) for the modes. We expect three solutions.

2
3.1 The Non-propagating Mode
^ it is an
One solution we can obtain at once by inspection: if E is parallel to k,
eigenvector, with eigenvalue 0. This is therefore a non-propagating mode, with
velocity v = c=n = 0.
We now look for the two propagating modes. We write the equation in term
of D (which we know must be perpendicular to k), ^ and obtain

(I k ^ r 1D = 1 D
^k)" (18)
n2
Substituting for "r 1 from Eq. 15 gives
1 1 ^^ 1 1 1 1 ^ ^ 1
( I kk+( )^
nn^ ( )k(k n
^ )^
n)D = 2 D (19)
"? "? "jj "? "jj "? n

^ D = 0, we can write D =a^

Since k x+b^ y, where the unit vectors x
^ and y
^ are
^ and y
perpendicular to k, ^ is perpendicular to n
^ as shown.

^
x ^
n

^
k
^
y
Fig. 1. Illustration of
the geometry.

This gives
1 1 1 1 1 ^ ^ 1
(a^
x+b^
y)+( )a^
n(^ ^) (
n x )ak(k n
^ )(^ ^) = 2 (a^
n x x+b^
y) (20)
"? "jj "? "jj "? n

3.2 The Ordinary Wave

p
One solution is a = 0; then D =b^ y (for arbitrary b) and n = "? Here
1 1 b
E ="o "r D = "o "? y
^; that is, E is parallel to D. This is the ordinary solution,
p
with the index denoted by no = "? .

3.3 The Extraordinary Wave

The second solution is obtained if b = 0. Then
1 1 1 1 1 ^ ^ 1
^+(
x )^
n(^ ^) (
n x )k(k n
^ )(^ ^) = 2 x
n x ^ (21)
"? "jj "? "jj "? n

3
 ^ gives 0. Taking the
We note that taking the inner product of both sides with k
inner product with x
^ gives
1 1 1 2 1
+( )(^ ^) = 2
n x (22)
"? "jj "? n

^ k,
^ 1= (^ 2 ^ 2
This is the extraordinary solution. Since n
^ = (^ n x^)^
x + (^
n k) ^) +(^
n x n k)
and
1 1 1 ^ 2= 1
( )(^n k) (23)
"jj "jj "? n2
or "jj "?
n2 = (24)
"? +("jj "? )(^ ^ 2
n k)
p
If we use the notation ne = "jj , then
ne no ne no
n= q =q (25)
2
n2o +(n2e n2o )(^ ^
n k) n2o sin2 +n2e cos2

where cos = (^ ^ The direction of the electric …eld is given by

n k).
^+( "1jj "1? )(^
E ="o "r 1 D =a"o ( "1? x n x ^)^
n), and if is the angle between D
and E,
( "1jj 1 ^
E k ^ "? )(^
n x^)(^
n k)
tan = = 1 1 1 2 (26)
E x ^
"? +( "jj "? )(^
n x^)
or q
( "1jj 1 ^ 1 ^ 2
"? )(^
n k) (^
n k) (n2o n2e ) sin cos
tan = = (27)
1
( "1jj 1 ^ 2 n2o sin2 +n2e cos2
"jj "? )(^
n k)