OPTICAL WAVE MIXING AND NONLINEAR OPTICS OF NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL FILM IN THE NEAR AND FAR INFRARED.

Theoretical analysis and experimental results have been obtained for the extraordinarily large orientational nonlinearity of nematic liquid crystals as applied to the near-IR and far-IR regimes. The nonlinearity is wavelength-independent and is of enormous magnitude throughout the visible, near- and far-IR regimes. Quantitative calculations have been carried out for basic issues such as scattering loss and applied problems such as two- and four-wave mixing results. Other nonlinear wave mixing effects have also been studied.