Damage testing of nematic liquid crystalline materials for femtosecond to nanosecond pulse lengths at 1053 nm

Damage-test data are scarce for liquid crystalline (LC) materials at 1-ns pulse lengths and nonexistent at shorter pulselengths. Here we describe the methodology to develop a comprehensive database of damage performance for typical nematic LC’s for a wide range of pulse lengths at 1053 nm. This series of nematic LC materials investigates the effect of a varying degree of π-electron delocalization. Obtaining damage-threshold measurements is of fundamental interest for the consideration of LC materials for applications in short-pulse laser systems.