Berry phase of light Bragg-reflected by chiral liquid crystal media

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the observation of Berry phase effects in circularly polarized light reflected by chiral liquid crystal media, combining theory, simulations, and experiments to reveal new optical phenomena and potential applications.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental demonstration of Berry phase in light Bragg-reflected by chiral liquid crystals, supported by theoretical and numerical analysis.

Findings

Berry phase observed in reflected light

Rotation of input plane induces geometric phase

Experimental validation of theoretical predictions

Abstract

Berry phase is revealed for circularly polarized light when it is Bragg-reflected by a chiral liquid crystal medium of the same handedness. By using a chiral nematic layer we demonstrate that if the input plane of the layer is rotated with respect to a fixed reference frame, then, a geometric phase effect occurs for the circularly polarized light reflected by the periodic helical structure of the medium. Theory and numerical simulations are supported by an experimental observation, disclosing novel applications in the field of optical manipulation and fundamental optical phenomena.