Time dependence and diffraction efficiency of optically-induced phase gratings in nematic liquid crystal films

Abstract
The time dependence and diffraction efficiency of optically‐induced phase gratings in thin films of the nematic liquid crystals 5CB and 6CB are reported. The experimental results are in quantitative agreement with a three‐dimensional model for the induced grating. This analysis provides an independent determination of the elastic constants K2 and K3 as well as a vicosity coefficient ν̄.