As one of my main interests is in liquid crystal layer optics, I have
recently tried to model the classic textbook example of reflection from
a cholesteric material. Such a material is optically uniaxial, with a
helical arrangement of the optic axis, with a pitch length in the
optical range. I expect to see 50% reflection of linear polarized
incident light, within a narrow band centred on the frequency
corresponding to wavelength in the LC equal to the helical pitch length.
(The reflection is circular polarized.)
If I carry out a 2D or 3D simulation, this is indeed what I observe -
although there is a strong and strange wavelength dependency
superimposed, which I need to check through. But if I use a 1D
simulation, I see a 100% reflection coefficient (and also lose the
anomalous wavelength effect).
Is there some issue with 1D simulations which means they cannot cope
with a helical permittivity tensor?
Many thanks for any guidance available,
Ian
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