Stable control of laser speckle statistics with a liquid-crystal-polymer-composite and its applications for optical computing

We present recent work on controllable light scattering statistics in the passage of light through a liquid-crystal-polymer composite [LCPC]. Modulation of the orientation of the LC director axis at the LC-PC interfaces with an applied AC voltage enable dynamical control of the morphology and types of laser speckle as well as the polarization characteristics with good stability and repeatability. Such reconfiguring scattering offering new possibilities in adaptive optics, neuromorphic computing and pattern recognition applications.