Exceptional points and lines and Dirac points and lines in magnetoactive cholesteric liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper explores how external magnetic fields influence the optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystals, revealing new photonic band gaps, Dirac points and lines, and exceptional points, enabling advanced tunable optical devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates the emergence of new photonic features and topological points in magnetoactive cholesteric liquid crystals under magnetic fields, with potential for novel optical applications.

Findings

New magnetically sensitive photonic band gaps appear.

Dirac points and lines are observed in the system.

Magnetically induced transparency and absorption bands are identified.

Abstract

We investigated the properties of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) being in external static magnetic field directed along the helix axis. We have shown that in the case of the wavelength dependence of magneto-optic activity parameter, and in the presence of absorption new features appear in the optics of CLCs. We have shown that in this case new photonic band gaps (PBGs) appear. This new PBG is sensitive to the polarization of the incident light. But if the chirality sign of the polarization of the incident diffracting light for the basic PBG (which exist also at the absence of external magnetic field) is determined only by the chirality sign of the CLC helix, then for the second one it is determined by the external magnetic field direction (i.e., on whether the directions of the external magnetic field and the incident light are parallel, or they are antiparallel). We have shown that in this case besides Dirac points there appear also Dirac lines as well as exceptional points and exceptional lines. And moreover, at some of these points and lines there appear the lines or wide bands of magnetically induced transparency, on others a wide coherent perfect absorption band appears that is insensitive to incident light polarization. And finally on some points the same reflection, transmission and absorption takes place for any polarization of incident light. This system can be applied as tunable narrow-band or broad-band filters and mirrors, a highly tunable broad/narrow-band coherent perfect absorber, transmitter, ideal optical diode, and other devices.