Aerogel waveplates
Abstract
Optical transmission measurements were made on 98% porosity silica aerogel samples under various degrees of uniaxial strain. Uniaxially compressed aerogels exhibit large birefringence, proportional to the amount of compression, up to the 15% strain studied. The birefringence is mostly reversible and reproducible through multiple compression-decompression cycles. Our study demonstrates that uniaxially strained high porosity aerogels can be used as tunable waveplates in a broad spectral range.
- Publication:
-
Optics Express
- Pub Date:
- June 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1364/OE.17.010599
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0905.1922
- Bibcode:
- 2009OExpr..1710599B
- Keywords:
-
- Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Optics Express