Elastically tuned defect mode within a cholesteric elastomer doped with metallic nano-spheres

Abstract

A composite material, formed by a cholesteric elastomer slab, doped with randomly but uniformly distributed metallic nano-spheres, is studied. The cholesteric elastomer has a twist jump defect consisting of a finite discontinuity in the helical angle of the structure. The transmittance and reflectance spectra of the elastomer sample are studied when circularly polarized electromagnetic waves are impinging, while it is stretched by the action of an externally imposed agent. It has been observed that the co-polarized and cross-polarized transmittance and reflectance depend on the wavelength of the impinging wave and the amount of metallic spheres parameterized by the filling factor, strain, and magnitude of the twist defect. Additionally, we have found that the position of the line defect within the band reflection is red-shifted either by increasing the filling factor or stretching the sample.