Light-induced electric field generated by photovoltaic substrates investigated through liquid crystal reorientation

Abstract Liquid crystal reorientation is exploited to analyze the electric field generated by light irradiation in iron-doped lithium niobate crystals. The evaluation of the strength of this light-induced field is based on the measurement of the phase shift induced in a probe light beam by a liquid crystal cell built with two z-cut iron-doped lithium niobate crystals as substrates. Then, the field profile has been determined starting from a Gaussian-like surface charge density following the model described in the text. The director profile corresponding to the modelled electric field is in good agreement with the director reorientation evaluated experimentally by means of the light-induced phase shift. This investigation gives a new approach to study the effects based on the photovoltaic response of lithium niobate crystals. Moreover, the characterization of the electric field optically generated inside the LC layer is highly desirable in view of the realization of new all-optical devices to be integrated in optofluidic platforms.