Fast Switching Dual-Frequency Nematic Liquid Crystal Tunable FiltersClick to copy article linkArticle link copied!
- Olha Melnyk*Olha Melnyk*E-mail: [email protected]UCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Olha Melnyk
- Reed JonesReed JonesUCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Reed Jones
- Rair MacêdoRair MacêdoJames Watt School of Engineering, Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United KingdomMore by Rair Macêdo
- Yuriy GarbovskiyYuriy GarbovskiyDepartment of Physics and Engineering Physics, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut 06050, United StatesMore by Yuriy Garbovskiy
- Guy HagenGuy HagenUCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Guy Hagen
- Anatoliy V. GlushchenkoAnatoliy V. GlushchenkoUCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Anatoliy V. Glushchenko
- Kathrin SpendierKathrin SpendierUCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Kathrin Spendier
- Robert E. CamleyRobert E. CamleyUCCS Biofrontiers Center and Department of Physics and Energy Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United StatesMore by Robert E. Camley
Abstract

We develop tunable optical filters with dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal optical retarders to enable fast switching between the passed wavelengths. The filters are composed of a series of two liquid crystal optical retarders. We select the specific thicknesses of the liquid crystal retarders and use individual biasing schemes to continuously tune the wavelength and bandwidth of the filter. This enables fine-tuned filter switching speeds of filter operation in the ms regime. We present theoretical predictions and experimental results for the electro-optical filter characterization as well as an example application for our filter in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We find that our filter switching speeds can be as short as a few ms, an order of magnitude improvement over typical mechanical filter wheel switching speeds. The quality of our fluorescence images is similar to those obtained by conventional filters.
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