Negative dispersion of birefringence in two-dimensionally self-organized smectic liquid crystal and monomer thin film.

Abstract

We suggest a method to obtain a negative dispersion (ND) of birefringence using a two-dimensional self-organization of smectic liquid crystal (LC) and monomer molecules. The averaged orientation of the smectic LC was the layer normal direction with the extraordinary refractive index n(e). Meanwhile, the orientation of the monomer molecules was templated by the host-smectic LC and parallel to the layer plane corresponding to the ordinary refractive index n(o). We selected the LC molecules absorbing a shorter wavelength of UV light rather than the polymerized monomers, hence n(e) was more smoothly decreased than n(o) in the visible-wavelength range. Consequently, the birefringence Δn≡n(e)-n(o) was increased with a longer wavelength, thus giving a ND of birefringence. Using the proposed method, the ND of birefringence could be obtained in a single layer, which is desirable for thin flexible applications.