A polarizing oriented smectic beam splitter

Abstract
A beam of unpolarized light is shown to be split into three distinct polarized beams when it passes through the core region of a smectic liquid crystal which is oriented so that its planes form concentric cylinders. In Np‐cyanobenzylidene‐p‐octylozyaniline (CBOOA) the angle between two adjacent exit beams is ∼22° whereas for Np‐cyano‐p‐octylbiphenyl (COB) it is ∼14°. Knowing this angle, we are able to deduce the ratio of the extraordinary to ordinary index of refraction, ne/no, for CBOOA and COB.