Abstract

Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) composed of double twisted cholesteric helixes are promising materials for use in next generation displays, optical components, and photonics applications. However, BPLCs are only observed in a narrow temperature range of 0.5-3 oC and must be stabilized with a polymer network. Here we report on controlling the phase behavior of BPLCs by varying the concentration of an amorphous crosslinker (PETA). LC mixtures without PETA display narrow temperature phase transitions from isotropic to BP-II, BP-I, and cholesteric phases, but the addition of PETA widens temperature window up to 10C. Above 3wt% PETA prevents the formation of BP-II and the mixture instead transitions from isotropic directly to BP-I phase. Blue phase I or II are stabilized using polymer networks via in-situ photopolymerization. Bandwidth broadening and red tuning responses are observed in polymer stabilized BPLCs with 10wt% and 15wt% polymer concentrations when DC voltage is applied.

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