Can the index of refraction of a substance be altered by an external action?

[Erkenbrand]

Hi guys.
I'm doing this science fair project and I needed to know if there is a substance (any substance!) whose index of refraction can be changed/regulated by applying an electric current (or any other action) to it.

I appreciate all help. Thanks!

 

[Danger]

It changes in water by boiling or freezing it.

 

[Danger]

I still can't edit, so here's a PS. I don't know whether or not the index changes in an LCD, but the transparency certainly does.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hi guys.
I'm doing this science fair project and I needed to know if there is a substance (any substance!) whose index of refraction can be changed/regulated by applying an electric current (or any other action) to it.

I appreciate all help. Thanks!

Liquid crystal, such as your LCD displays.

Zz.

Edit: Argh... Danger beat me to it.

 

[ZapperZ]

I still can't edit, so here's a PS. I don't know whether or not the index changes in an LCD, but the transparency certainly does.

Try clearning your cache, Danger. I find doing that seems to solve a few of the problems since the upgrade.

Zz.

 

[Danger]

Try clearning your cache, Danger.

How on Earth does one do that? Perhaps it's the PC equivalent of rebuilding my desktop? Zapping my PRAM?
Anyhow, I just realized that since I'm at work now, I can edit. Just can't do it at home.

 

[Erkenbrand]

Thanks guys. Water doesn't really work for me. Now, I'm interested in LCDs. I understand they have the property of birefringence, and electric currents change the alignment of the crystal. Now, is this binary (two possible states) or can you get the crystals to arrange in a gamut of ways?
Thanks again.

 

[Danger]

Although I don't know the exact response mechanism, you can get gradual transition from clear to fully opaque depending upon the input. My glasses do the same thing, but are triggered by light rather than electricity. Whether it's due to the crystals only partially rotating, or to only some of the crystals fully rotating, is unclear to me.

 

[Erkenbrand]

Hmmm. Apparently what happens when you pass a current through an LCD, the crystals "untwist" and align at 90° angles. Therefore it is binary (no partial rotation). Am I correct?
If so, then is there anything that can function similarly to an LCD, but rotate at different angles depending on the intensity of the current? If not, I return to my original question. Is there a substance whose index of refraction can be changed with a current?
Thanks guys.

 

[Claude Bile]

Electro-optic materials are materials whose refractive index varies with voltage (more accurately, the applied electric field) rather than current (although the voltage required is typically in kV, which is a safety issue).

Any crytsalline material that lacks a centre of symmetry will exhibit this behaviour. Some commonly used crystals are Lithium Niobate, Quartz, Gallium Arsenide, Zinc Selenide and Lithium Tantalate.

If you do choose to play with electro-optic materials, be aware of the dangers associated with the high voltages that are often required to work these devices.

Claude.

 

[Erkenbrand]

Thanks, Claude. Yeah, I was actually thinking of lesser voltages (not even 10V!). But I'll research electro-optic and thermo-optic materials.

 

[mezarashi]

I was just studying electro-optic materials today used in laser modulation. It would seem like Lithium Niobate would be a good bet $$LiNbO_3$$. Semiconductor materials are known to have variable indices of refraction as well, except they don't work as well and they are generally opaque to visible light unless they are properly junctioned and biased.

 

[Erkenbrand]

Awesome. I'll look it up. Is it... hard to find -- Lithium Niobate, I mean (the substance)?

 

[mezarashi]

I would suppose it's a bit difficult to find. The material is relatively common in electronics even in TVs. For example some commercially available laser modulators use this. They are not very cheap however.

Especially since you want to demonstrate this at a science fair. Maybe it is better you get a spare laser modulator (or maybe found in a junk shop) configured for amplitude modulation. Applying a voltage, you can show that the light goes on and off accordingly.

 

[Claude Bile]

Lithium Niobate is widely available, but mostly from companies that specialise in optical materials. A wafer of Lithium Niobate is relatively expensive however. Quartz is probably a cheaper option.

Claude.