The latest advances in the optics of small birefringent structures With the proliferation of liquid crystal technologies such as flat panel displays, understanding the polarization of light in liquid crystals has become a vital concern of optics, biology, communication, and numerous other areas in research and industry. Polarized Light in Liquid Crystals and Polymers deals with the linear optics of birefringent materials, such as liquid crystals and polymers, and surveys light propagation in such media with special attention to applications. It is unique in treating light propagation in micro- and nanostructured birefringent optical elements, such as lenses and gratings composed of birefringent materials, as well as the spatial varying anisotropic structures often found in miniaturized liquid crystal devices. An all-inclusive book, Polarized Light in Liquid Crystals and Polymers features: * A focus on high-resolution structures found in modern display devices * An introduction to optical properties of liquid crystal texture * Novel coverage of three-dimensional anisotropic materials with respect to their light propagation properties * Tools such as matrix methods, ray tracing, and space-grid time-domain techniques to effectively solve optical simulation problems * A number of examples using measurements and simulation * Coverage of how to use the polarization microscope to characterize textures and structures in liquid crystals and polymers * An overview of photonic devices based on liquid crystals, covering the state of the art of existing systems * Unique coverage of gradient-index based devices * Over 200 illustrations and tables * A thorough listing of references Presenting a comprehensive treatment of an exciting and rapidly developing field, Polarized Light in Liquid Crystals and Polymers provides both students and practitioners with a superlative resource for learning and reference.