Polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal devices with ultra-low hysteresis and driving stability

Abstract

Hysteresis is a critical factor that plays a significant role in determining the electro-optical performance of display devices, especially in polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal devices (PSBPLCDs). The presence of hysteresis limits the accuracy of device operation and affects its long-term stability. To address this challenge, we have employed a few short-chain monofunctional methacrylate monomers at an appropriate concentration to form microscale network holes in PSBPLCDs. These PSBPLCDs with microscale network holes show low hysteresis (<0.5 %) for networks with non-smooth surfaces and even ultra-low hysteresis (∼0.02 %) for networks with smooth surfaces. The PSBPLCDs exhibit a wide temperature range exceeding 85 °C and have similar response times to that of conventional PSBPLCDs. Moreover, these PSBPLCDs have a low hysteresis and small residual birefringence even after undergoing 2,000,000 driving cycles. These research results are significant in determining the appropriate selection of monofunctional monomers for the design and development of PSBPLCDs.