Simulation of coherent backscattering of light in nematic liquid crystals

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063776112060015· OSTI ID:22069356

Multiple scattering of light by the fluctuations of the director in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) aligned by a magnetic field is considered. A peak of coherent backscattering is calculated by numerical simulation. Since the indicatrix of single scattering for a liquid crystal (LC) is known exactly, the calculations are carried out without any simplifying assumptions on the parameters of the liquid crystal. Multiple scattering is simulated as a random walk of photons in the medium. A peak of coherent backscattering in such a medium is very narrow; therefore, the so-called semianalytical method is applied. The parameters of the backscattering peak obtained by numerical simulation are compared with the available experimental data and with the results of analytical approximations. It turns out that the experimental data are in good agreement with the results of simulation. The results of numerical simulation adequately describe the anisotropy and the width of the backscattering peak.

• OSTI ID: 22069356
• Journal Information: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 115; ISSN JTPHES; ISSN 1063-7761
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
APPROXIMATIONS
BACKSCATTERING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FLUCTUATIONS
GRAPH THEORY
LIQUID CRYSTALS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MULTIPLE SCATTERING
PHOTONS
RANDOMNESS
VISIBLE RADIATION