Optical properties of synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles doped in nematic liquid crystal under electric field

The average particle size of synthesized Fe3O4, nanoparticles (nps) was found to be about 34 nm as analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nonlinear optics measurements were performed by using z-scan method with 532 nm wavelength CW Nd:YAG laser. The influence of electric field on the nonlinear optical responses for nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) doped with Fe3O4 nps was considered in different voltages. The measurements were performed with ferronematics for two commonly initial alignments (homogeneous and homeotropic) with small compositional percentage of magnetic nps (i.e. 1% W/W). The experimental results show that the magnitudes of nonlinearity in homeotropic alignment samples are larger than homogeneous ones. Results show that the applied electric field had a great effect on the nonlinear optical properties of NLCs doped with Fe3O4 nps in homogeneous alignment samples and do not have any significant affect in homeotropic alignment samples.