Mapping quality and parameters of photovoltaic liquid crystal modulators

Photovoltaic light modulators integrate liquid crystals and solar cells and offer an exciting prospect for autonomous, smart displays and visors. Illumination produces a photovoltage that modifies the liquid crystal alignment and light transmission. However, determining their properties, for example, the voltage dropped across the liquid crystal, different pretilts or anchoring energies, inherent to asymmetric cell designs, poses significant challenges. We have successfully applied to such photovoltaic modulators a new measurement methodology based on wide-area cross-polarized intensity measurements, coupled to an Ericksen-Leslie model. We have implemented it in a versatile optical analyzer, driven by a Matlab graphical user interface.