Abstract

We present a highly functionalized photorefractive device consisting of fullerene (C60)-doped nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) on silver sulfide thin films. Either stable holograms or real-time holography is possible depending on the polarity of an external electric field. When certain direction of external field is applied to the device under irradiation by interference field, photoexcited charges are recombined with silver ions at the boundary between the silver sulfide and NLCs. The resulting interface structures reorient the NLC molecules and holographic gratings are stably memorized. When the polarity of the external field is reversed, normal photorefractive holographic gratings are formed.