Abstract: A temperature-stabilized photonic circuit comprising: a material platform; a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible, photonic device integrated on the material platform, wherein the photonic device has a positive thermo-optic coefficient; and a liquid crystal layer clad over the photonic device, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a negative thermo-optic coefficient such that the temperature of the circuit is passively stabilized through adjustment of the effective refractive index of the photonic device.

Abstract: A temperature-stabilized photonic circuit comprising: a material platform; a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible, photonic device integrated on the material platform, wherein the photonic device has a positive thermo-optic coefficient; and a liquid crystal layer clad over the photonic device, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a negative thermo-optic coefficient such that the temperature of the circuit is passively stabilized through adjustment of the effective refractive index of the photonic device.

Abstract: A protective liquid crystal fiber array includes a body having a plurality of capillary passages extending between incident and transmitting faces. A liquid phase, liquid crystal material is positioned in each of the capillaries and optically transparent closures are positioned on the incident and transmitting faces to retain the liquid phase liquid crystal material within the capillaries. The liquid crystal material is substantially transparent at low levels of optical energy, which at high levels of incident optical energy, exhibits an optical limiting effect as a result of a negative change in its refractive index. The change in refractive index is enhanced as a result of thermal density effects due to the restriction of the incident optical energy within the diameter of one or more capillaries.

Abstract: Persistent director axis reorientation is induced in a liquid crystal film in response to a projected optical image by a method that includes the following steps: applying adc potential across the liquid crystal film; exposing the liquid crystal film to a spatially varying optical intensity which, in combination with the dc potential, produces a spatially varying dc current flow and a spatial charge field in accordance with the intensity variation of an optical image, the spatial charge field resulting in persistent refractive index changes in the liquid crystal film; and removing the dc potential and spatially varying optical intensity. To retrieve the image that is "stored" in the liquid crystal film, the liquid material is illuminated with a monochromatic optical beam. With certain liquid crystal films, reapplication of the dc potential combined, application of the optical illumination results in retrieval of the stored optical image.