Dye-doped Liquid Crystal Research Articles

Random lasing in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystal

Random laser action is observed in the PM597 dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystal (DDCLC) cells. A focal conic texture of chiral nematic liquid crystal (CLC) with many micro-domains is achieved in the cell without rubbing treatment. An Nd:YAG pulsed solid-state laser with a wavelength of 532 nm is employed as a pump source. Discrete and sharp random lasers with a line-width of 0.3 nm and wavelength range of 570–590 nm are obtained. The pump threshold energy of a random laser significantly depends on the cell thickness. The DDCLC cell with a thickness of 80 μm shows the lowest threshold value Eth of 7.6μJ, whereas the 10 μm DDCLC cell presents the highest Eth of 19.6μJ. The lower Eth is attributed to a denser micro-domain distribution that provides a stronger photon scattering at a certain pump depth. The random laser emission is shut down when the temperature reaches 61 °C.

Efficiency improvements in a dichroic dye-doped liquid crystal Fresnel lens.

A dichroic dye-doped liquid crystal Fresnel lens was fabricated and investigated to observe the combination of phase and amplitude modulation based focusing. An anthraquinone dichroic dye was doped into a liquid crystal host, which when in the Fresnel lens configuration, generates a Fresnel zone plate with alternating "transparent" and "opaque" zones. The zones were induced by using photo-alignment of a light-sensitive alignment layer to generate the alternating pattern. The voltage dependency of efficiency for the dye-doped and pure liquid crystal Fresnel devices were investigated. Incorporation of dyes into the device yielded a significant 4% improvement in relative efficiency in the lens, giving a maximum of 37% achieved in the device, much closer to the theoretical 41% limit when compared with the non-dye-doped device. The input polarization dependence of efficiency was also investigated, showing very small fluctuations (±1.5%), allowing further insight into the effect of fabrication method on these liquid crystal Fresnel devices.

A three-layer egg-configurated Bragg microcavity of polyglycerol coated cholesteric-liquid-crystal encapsulated by hollow-glass-microsphere

ABSTRACTThis letter reports the optical pumped lasing behaviours of a three-layer Bragg resonance cavity consisting of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (DDCLC) microdroplet, polyglycerol-2 and hollow glass microsphere. The function of PG2 is to control the parallel anchoring of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules on the surface of the LC microdroplet. The whispering-gallery mode (WGM), radial Bragg (photonic bandgap, PBG) mode and Bragg WGM (BWGM) are observed in DDCLC microspheres with different helical pitches and LC refractive indices. The formation mechanisms of six types of lasing emission conditions are analysed in detail. The study results present the prospect of controlling the output mode of the laser. Furthermore, such solid shell-based DDCLC microspheres have outstanding potential applications in miniaturised 3D Bragg lasers, sensors, and integrated and tunable optical devices.

Magnetically controllable random laser in ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystals.

This paper first reports random laser action in dye-doped ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystals, which act as a randomly distributed cavity. The random laser intensity of the ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystals can be controlled by a weak magnetic field (∼1 mT). Moreover, the magnetic switching of random laser is attributed to the direction and polarization dependent emission of light in the ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystals in an external magnetic field.

Fast-response Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements based on polymer-stabilized liquid crystal.

In this paper we demonstrate fast-response Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase optical elements (PBOEs) based on polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC). First, a non-interferometric photo-alignment technique is employed to generate PB patterns in a dye-doped liquid crystal by green laser light. Then the samples are exposed to UV light to form polymer networks. Due to the greatly increased elastic constant in PSLC, all PBOEs can achieve submillisecond response time, while maintaining high diffraction efficiency (>90%). Furthermore, a varifocus PB lens (PBL) is implemented based on two identical PB lens elements and its application in fatigue free augmented-reality (AR) displays is verified. The fast response PBOEs based on PSLC hold great potential for various display and photonics applications.

Absorption-mediated stabilization of nonlinear propagation of vortex beams in nematic liquid crystals

We theoretically investigate the effect of linear absorption on the stability of nonlinear vortex beams in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals. We show that the combined effects of intensity attenuation and thermal defocusing provide a stabilization mechanism which significantly extends the stable propagation distance of the vortex beam for first- and second-order topological charges.

Fabrication of multicolored patterns based on dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystals.

We developed a type of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal, which were used for fluorescence enhancement and dual-mode multicolor patterns. We added dye molecules (BBOT, coumarin 6 (C6) and rhodamine B (RhB)) to liquid crystals, and cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC) exhibited selective reflection characteristics. When the reflection wavelength overlaps with the peak of the fluorescent dye, the luminescence intensity of the dye molecules could be adjusted. We used two methods to adjust the reflection wavelength of the cholesteric liquid crystals by changing the content of chiral additives and the isomerization degree of azo molecules. We used the screen printing and stencil printing methods to combine liquid crystal particles containing different fluorescent colors to prepare multicolor patterns. Moreover, the photoisomerization characteristics of the azo molecules were also used to achieve brilliant firework-like images upon exposure to ultraviolet and visible light. In addition, we also realized a face-changing stunt with facial makeup during a performance in the Sichuan Opera, a traditional Chinese folk art. We made use of the difference between reflection color and luminescence intensity upon light irradiation to present orange, green, blue and dark-blue facial effects.

Electrically Controlled Diffraction Grating in Azo Dye-Doped Liquid Crystals.

This research applies the non-linear effect of azo dye-doped liquid crystal materials to develop a small, simple, and adjustable beam-splitting component with grating-like electrodes. Due to the dielectric anisotropy and optical birefringence of nematic liquid crystals, the director of the liquid crystal molecules can be reoriented by applying external electric fields, causing a periodic distribution of refractive indices and resulting in a diffraction phenomenon when a linearly polarized light is introduced. The study also discusses the difference in the refractive index (Δn), the concentration of azo dye, and the rising constant depending on the diffraction signals. The experimental results show that first-order diffraction efficiency can reach ~18% with 0.5 wt % azo dye (DR-1) doped in the nematic liquid crystals.

Effects of the chain length of crosslinking agent and dye-doped amount on the electro-optical properties of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films prepared by nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction

ABSTRACTA series of crosslinking agents with different chain lengths were used to explore their effect on electro-optical properties of dye-doped polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) film prepared by nucleophile-initiated thiol-ene click reaction. The influences of dye contents and temperatures on electro-optical properties were also investigated. It was found that the increase in chain length of crosslinking agent leads to the increase in driving voltage and the decrease in memory effect. The decrease in reaction temperature causes a decrease in driving voltage and an increase in transmittance. Particularly, the dye content could be optimised to obtain promising materials with minimum driving voltage and high contrast ratio for display applications.

Photo- and electrical-responsive liquid crystal smart dimmer for augmented reality displays.

A dual-stimuli polarizer-free dye-doped liquid crystal (LC) dimmer is demonstrated. The LC composition consists of photo-stable chiral agent, photosensitive azobenzene, and dichroic dye in a nematic host with positive dielectric anisotropy. Upon UV exposure, the LC directors and dye molecules turn from initially vertical alignment (high transmittance state) to twisted fingerprint structure (low transmittance state). The reversal process is accelerated by combining a longitudinal electric field to unwind the LC directors from twisted fingerprint to homeotropic state, and a red light to transform the cis azobenzene back to trans. This device can be used as a smart dimmer to enhance the ambient contrast ratio for augmented reality displays.

Symmetric Continuously Tunable Photonic Band Gaps in Blue-Phase Liquid Crystals Switched by an Alternating Current Field.

Symmetric continuously tunable three-dimensional (3D) liquid photonic crystals have been investigated using self-organized blue-phase liquid crystal films. The photonic band gap in the overall visible spectrum can be tuned continuously, reversibly, and rapidly as the applied electric field changes. After driven by the applied field, four-time enhancement of the reflectivity results in more vivid reflection colors. A lasing emission of tuning working wavelength has been demonstrated by using the dye-doped blue-phase liquid crystal film. With the advantages of fast response speed, no alignment layer, large-scale electrically shift of the photonic band gap, and macro optical isotropy, this self-assembled soft material has many potential applications in high-performance reflective full-color display, 3D tunable lasers, and nonlinear optics.

Independent control of haze and total transmittance with a dye-doped liquid crystal phase-grating device.

This paper presents a dye-doped liquid crystal (LC) phase-grating cell that is switchable between transparent, dark, and opaque states. The device can control haze and transmittance independently. Initially, LC and dye molecules are twist-aligned to make the cell opaque but haze-free due to the absorption of incident light without scattering. Switching to the transparent state could be achieved by applying a vertical electric field, whereas switching to the opaque state could be achieved by applying an in-plane electric field. It exhibited several advantages, such as a low switching voltage (<18 V) and fast response time (<30 ms).

Dynamic Grating Recording by a Light-Induced Modification of the Order Parameter in Dye-Doped Chiral Nematic Liquid Crystals

The dynamic grating recording in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals is studied. It is shown that the mechanism responsible for the grating recording can be ascribed to a photoinduced modification of the order parameter of a liquid crystal within the range of optical intensities, for which the orientational nonlinearity remains quenched by the structural order of the chiral structure. The two-wave mixing dynamic behavior is analyzed for different intensities of the recording beams, by comparing the self-diffraction regime with the probe diffraction. This allows us to distinguish a particular mechanism of optical nonlinearity. The photo-induced modulation of the order parameter and the respective changes of medium’s refractive indices determine the relatively fast response times, local nonlinear response, and quite high diffraction efficiency within an extremely wide intensity range (more than three orders of magnitude) The chiral helical structure hinders the nematic director reorientation, prevents the appearance of surface effects, and is very favorable for the manipulation of a nonlinear polarization. Such new mechanism could also be extended to the recording of arbitrary phase profiles as requested in several applications for the manipulation of a light-beam.

Optically induced birefringence in dye-doped blue phase liquid crystals

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the photoinduced change of refractive index in dye (methyl red, MR)-doped blue phase (DDBP) cells by illumination of a pump beam. Through excitation of light irradiation with proper photon energy, MR can transform from trans-state to cis-state and successively diffuse and anisotropically adsorb on the inner glass substrate of the DDBP cell along the direction perpendicular to the polarisation of the pump beam. The adsorbed MR molecules can effectively rotate the orientation of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules and thereby modulate the effective refractive index of the DDBP cell. The SEM images of the adsorbed regions of the illuminated DDBP samples were also taken for discussing the relation between the pump intensity and the photoinduced birefringence.

Dye-Doped Electrically Smart Windows Based on Polymer-Stabilized Liquid Crystal.

Here we report the fabrication of dye-doped polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLC)-based smart windows. The effect of dye doping on PSLC contrast was investigated. Non-dichroic dye tints the PSLC sample in both off- and on-state, which is not beneficial for increasing its off/on contrast. The sample doped with dichroic dye shows a slight color in the off-state and strong color in the on-state, resulting in an enhanced contrast, which attributed to orientation dependent absorption of dichroic dyes. Furthermore, we blended non-dichroic dye and dichroic dye who have complementary absorption together into PSLC mixture. The sample is almost colorless in the off-state due to the subtractive process, while colored in the on-state. The contrast is further enhanced. The results show that the proposed multi-dye-doped PSLC device has high visual contrast and fast response time, making it attractive for applications in light management and architectural aesthetics.

The photoelectric properties characteristics of dye-doped nematic liquid crystal microcapsules with different structural composition

In this study, we promote a new dye-doped nematic liquid crystal (DDNLC) microcapsules system sandwiched between two ITO substrates for making an electrochromic fabric coating with both low driving voltage and wide versatility. The effects of the dye dosage, particle size and shell thickness of microcapsules on the electro-optical properties of DDNLC microcapsules were systematically investigated. Results show that optical appearance of the optimized DDNLC microcapsules can be reversibly changed between transparent and colored states by switching on and off the direct-current power. Driving voltage, response time and delay time were close related to the particle size of DDNLC core in microcapsules, and an alignment model was used to calculate the geometric construction of the microcapsules. The proposed experimental results provide reliable simulations of the electro-optical properties of DDNLC microcapsules which showing great potential applications in a wide range of uses, such as electronic paper, military camouflage coating or intelligent flexible display fabric.

Mode coupling by scattering in chiral nematic liquid crystal ring lasing.

Lasing in dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystal can be realized with low pump energy and relatively high efficiency, thanks to the high reflectivity of the periodic structure. When the helical axis is oriented perpendicular to the substrates, the main lasing peak is normal to the substrates. In some cases, ring lasing of a particular wavelength is observed into an emission cone with axial symmetry. In this paper we explain how scattering of light in the liquid crystal layer leads to optical coupling between normal modes and inclined modes. Based on a numerical model that takes into account spontaneous emission, gain and scattering we show that scattering leads to emission characteristics that are similar to experimental results.

Electrically switchable whispering gallery mode lasing from ferroelectric liquid crystal microdroplets

Liquid crystal microdroplets have received considerable attention over recent years owing to their potential applications in chemical, biomedical sensing and lasing. We report experimental studies on whispering gallery mode lasing from dye-doped ferroelectric liquid crystal microdroplets suspended in a low refractive index and highly transparent perfluoropolymer at ambient temperature. We show that the lasing threshold pump energy of ferroelectric microdroplets is much lower than that of the nematic and cholesteric microdroplets. With the increasing electric field, the linewidth increases, while the lasing intensity decreases and eventually switches off beyond a particular field. Since the switching response time is fast (≈350 μs), ferroelectric liquid crystal based microlasers are useful for applications as electrically switchable sources in miniaturised devices and in soft photonic circuits.

The ultra-photostable and electrically modulated Stimulated Emission in perylene-based dye doped liquid crystal

One of the most important drawback of organic dyes is their low photo-stability which reduces possibility of their commercial utilization. In this article we employ the strategy of dye re-crystallization from oversaturated matrix in order to enhance material’s durability. One of the main advantages of perylene derivative is ability to form emissive j-aggregates, good miscibility and incorporation into liquid crystalline matrix. Investigation of perylene-based dye and LC matrix brought as the result very efficient light amplification modulation by applied external electric field. In our article we show that Stimulated Emission (STE) is possible to achieve from perylene-derivative based system, at typical fluence thresholds for laser dyes: 3.9 mJ/cm2. Moreover, presented system proves ultra-high photostability, showing lack of STE reduction even after 12 000 excitation laser pulses. Furthermore, we proved the possibility of light emission intensity control using external electric field.

Photo-responsive dye-doped liquid crystals for smart windows.

An electric field drives most dye-doped liquid crystal devices. Here, we demonstrate a new photo-responsive dye-doped self-organized cholesteric liquid crystal device. Upon UV or blue light exposure, the helical twisting power of the chiral azobenzene changes because of the trans-cis isomerization. As a result, the initially vertically aligned liquid crystal directors and dye molecules will change from transparent state to dark state. Such a polarizer-free photo-activated dimmer can be used for wide range of applications, such as diffractive photonic devices, portable information system, vehicular head-up displays, and as a smart window for energy-saving buildings.