Enhanced Low-temperature Electro-optical Kerr Effect of Stable Cubic Soft Superstructure Enabled by Fluorinated Polymer Stabilization

Xiao Li,Zhen Liu,Cong-Long Yuan,Wei-Qiang Yang,Zhi-Gang Zheng,Xiao-Qian Wang,Kang Zhou,Dong Shen

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-11041-2

Xiao Li, Zhen Liu + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11041-2

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Abstract

An enhanced electro-optical Kerr effect of the stable self-organized cubic blue phase liquid crystal superstructure at a relatively low temperature down to −50 °C was achieved through a judiciously designed fluorinated polymer stabilization. The fluorinated sample exhibited not only a rather stable cubic structure, but the promoted electro-optical performances of low driving voltage, weak hysteresis and high contrast ratio at such a low-temperature, which were much distinct from the common non-fluorinated polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystal without conspicuous low-temperature Kerr response behaviours. Kerr constant, which reflects the obviousness of Kerr effect, of the fluorinated sample at −50 °C indicated a spectacular enhancement of two orders of magnitude in contrast to the commonly material, thereby corroborating the high efficiency of polymer fluorination in enhancing low-temperature Kerr effect. Such an enhancement of Kerr effect was probably resulted from the decreasing of interfacial anchoring between liquid crystal and fluorinated polymer network. The fluorinated polymer stabilization not only ensures the stability of self-organized cubic structure of blue phase, but overcomes the challenge and bottleneck problem of low-temperature inapplicability of common blue phase liquid crystal and paves a brilliant and broad way for relevant materials to abundant perspective applications at low temperature.

Highlights

Protrusion electrode[19], corrugated electrode[27] and the partitioned wall electrode[28], and by strategically replacing the common used in-plane switching (IPS) driving mode with vertical field switching (VFS)[29]
Such an interesting Kerr effect enhancement of PSBPLC at a relatively low temperature down to −50 °C realized through polymer fluorination opens a window for BPLC and relevant other LCs to be adopted in the low-temperature environment, which is sufficiently significant in practical applications limited in out-door displays, but the aerospace optical systems
The voltage-dependent-transmission (VT) performance of the samples presented an abrupt decline of the driving voltage for about 41%, from 95 V to 56 V, as the content of 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyl Acrylate (PFDA) was increased to 4 wt%; and followed by a mild decreasing to 50 V with a continuous increasing of PFDA to 6 wt% (Fig. S1, Supplementary)

Summary

Introduction

Protrusion electrode[19], corrugated electrode[27] and the partitioned wall electrode[28], and by strategically replacing the common used in-plane switching (IPS) driving mode with vertical field switching (VFS)[29]. The polymer fluorination was previously employed in polymer-LC material system to promote the room-temperature performances of relevant devices[33], low-temperature-applicable PSBPLC with desirable EO Kerr performance was still a challenging issue. Such an interesting Kerr effect enhancement of PSBPLC at a relatively low temperature down to −50 °C realized through polymer fluorination opens a window for BPLC and relevant other LCs to be adopted in the low-temperature environment, which is sufficiently significant in practical applications limited in out-door displays, but the aerospace optical systems

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Conclusion