This monograph is devoted to a detailed treatment of the nonlinear optical properties of liquid crystals. The basic concepts of director optical reorientation and thermal nonlinearities are presented using a fundamental mathematical approach and an experimental demonstration of the main phenomena. The presentation is self-consistent and tutorial, although the subject matter is a of current research interest. The last part of the book deals with more recent results on new composite materials: polymer dispersed liquid crystals. A general presentation of the optical properties is given and the...

This volume consists of contributions by leading authorities in nonlinear optics and optical physics. The topics covered include fundamental theories and formalisms on nonlinear optics and current topics of interest in optical physics, as well as more specialized subjects.