Abstract
The electro-optical properties of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films are highly dependent on the features of the contained liquid crystal (LC) droplets. Cholesteric LC droplets with homeotropic boundaries can form several topologically different orientational structures, including ones with single and more point defects, layer-like, and axisymmetric twisted toroidal structures. These structures are very sensitive to an applied electric field. In this work, we have demonstrated experimentally and by computer simulations that twisted toroidal droplets reveal strong structural response to the electric field. In turn, this leads to vivid changes in the optical texture in crossed polarizers. The response of droplets of different sizes were found to be equivalent in terms of dimensionless parameters. In addition, the explanation of this phenomenon showed a comparison of theoretical and experimental structural response curves aids to determine the shape of the droplet. Finally, we demonstrated that the addition of a dichroic dye allows such films to be used as optical filters with adjustable color even without polarizers.
Highlights
Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films combine the useful properties of liquid crystals (LC) and polymers
While the main results suppose the use of crossed polarizers, we demonstrate the possibility of using PDLC films without polarizers as an optical filter with adjustable color saturation by adding a dichroic dye to the CLC mixture
We studied by means of experiment and computer simulations the electrooptical response of the toroidal orientational structure in spheroid cholesteric droplets with homeotropic boundary conditions to the application of an electric field
Summary
Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films combine the useful properties of liquid crystals (LC) and polymers. The application of an electric or magnetic field changes the orientation of the bipolar axis of the droplets in the case of tangential or conical boundary conditions [15,19] or switches the director structure from radial to axial in the case of homeotropic anchoring [20]. This leads to a change in light scattering [21,22,23] and absorption [24,25] of PDLC film, which can be used in optical shutters and smart films
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