Liquid Crystal Cell Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF SURFACTANT CONCENTRATION ON CHANGES IN THE PLANE OF POLARIZATION OF LIGHT WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE LCD MEDIUM

The effect of surfactants in the form of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) in nematic liquid crystal cells of type 5CB have been studied by the polarization-optical method. The relationship between the concentrations of the introduced surfactant and the angle of rotation of the polarization plane is established. The clear boundaries of the linear and elliptical polarization of the light transmitted through the cell are indicated, depending on the concentration of surface-active substances (surfactants). Possible applications of such materials in semiconductor and solid-state laser technology and display technologies are proposed.

Features of Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing in Liquid Crystal Cell in Dynamic Photorefractivity Mode

Features of Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing in Liquid Crystal Cell in Dynamic Photorefractivity Mode

Moiré effect enables versatile design of topological defects in nematic liquid crystals

Recent advances in surface-patterning techniques of liquid crystals have enabled the precise creation of topological defects, which promise a variety of emergent applications. However, the manipulation and application of these defects remain limited. Here, we harness the moiré effect to engineer topological defects in patterned nematic liquid crystal cells. Specifically, we combine simulation and experiment to examine a nematic cell confined between two substrates of periodic surface anchoring patterns; by rotating one surface against the other, we observe a rich variety of highly tunable, novel topological defects. These defects are shown to guide the three-dimensional self-assembly of colloids, which can conversely impact defects by preventing the self-annihilation of loop-defects through jamming. Finally, we demonstrate that certain nematic moiré cells can engender arbitrary shapes represented by defect regions. As such, the proposed simple twist method enables the design and tuning of mesoscopic structures in liquid crystals, facilitating applications including defect-directed self-assembly, material transport, micro-reactors, photonic devices, and anti-counterfeiting materials.

Liquid-crystal clad tunable wavelength de-multiplexer and coupler/filter in silicon nitride rib waveguide structure

We report long-period waveguide grating (LPWG) based tunable wavelength de-multiplexer and tunable coupler/filter in liquid crystal (LC) clad rib waveguides on silicon nitride on insulator platform. High birefringence and electrically tunable refractive index of the MLC-9200-000 LC have been used to achieve a tuning range covering most of the S, C and L bands of the optical communication system. The structure consists of two parallel rib waveguides with an elevated slab. We have considered a new concept of injecting power into a higher-order slab mode. The power from the slab mode is coupled to the rib modes using LPWGs inscribed on the sidewalls of the ribs. The structure works as a tunable wavelength de-multiplexer when the grating periods in both ribs are different. The wavelength tunability of the de-multiplexer is achieved by an external voltage applied across the liquid crystal cell. Our numerical results show wavelength tuning of the de-multiplexer in the range 1.437 - 1.627 μm. The structure works as an electrically tunable coupler/filter when the grating period of both the gratings are the same. We numerically demonstrate the tuning of the coupler in the wavelength range 1.487 - 1.572 μm and that of the filter in the range 1.484 - 1.577 μm with 20-dB rejection.

Unveiling the role of electrode polarization in modulating dielectric and electro-optical properties of SnSe dispersed nematic liquid crystal

This study explores the impact of electrode polarization on SnSe nanosheets blended with liquid crystal cells and investigates how impurity ions influence the performance of the liquid crystal.

Quantum optical control experiment using Mach–Zehnder interferometer and twisted nematic liquid crystals

A Mach–Zehnder interferometer with an optical phase control by a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal (LC) device was studied. In a typical TN LC device, a change in the optical rotation state of π/2 can be obtained by applying a voltage of about 5 V with a cell thickness of several-micron. The TN cell is inserted into one optical path in the Mach–Zehnder interferometer. We obtained a pattern change when voltage was applied to the LC cell due to the change of the optical interference state. As a result, a change in the number of photons under weak light conditions is observed.

Liquid Crystalline Electro-Optical Modulator of Submegahertz Range

A liquid crystalline (LC) electro-optical modulator providing an electro-optical response time up to 400 nanoseconds with a modulation frequency up to 500 kHz has been developed. The ferroelectric liquid crystal FLC-576 obtained by us was used as the electro-optical medium of the modulator. Its helix pitch р0 is much smaller than wavelengths of visible light (р0 < 100 nm). The liquid crystal operates in the deformed helix ferroelectric mode (DHF-effect) under the action of electric fields. The controlling electric fields are less than a critical field of helix unwinding. At high frequencies of the control voltage (over 10 kHz), the heating of electro-optical cell by repolarization currents of FLC can occur up to the temperature of phase transition from ferroelectric to paraelectric phase, which leads to the cessation of electro-optical modulation. The work experimentally and theoretically examines the self-heating issues of electro-optical modulators depending on the liquid crystal layer thickness, frequency and strength of applied electric field. The heat removal conditions from the liquid crystal cell have been determined and experimentally implemented. Under these conditions the LC is in the smectic C* ferroelectric phase temperature range, which is necessary to provide electro-optical modulation in submegaherts diapason.

Influence of Design Parameters of Liquid Crystal Cell on the Optical Threshold Voltage Value of Electro-Optical Effect

The influence of liquid-crystal (LC) cell design parameters on the voltage of the optical threshold of the interference effect of polarized beams controlled by an electric field has been studied by computer simulation. It is shown that under strict boundary conditions (both symmetrical and antisymmetrical), the voltage value of the optical threshold decreases rapidly depending on the cell thickness in an exponential manner and reaches a certain constant value. Under non-strict boundary conditions (both symmetrical and antisymmetrical), the voltage dependence of the optical threshold on the LC layer thickness follows a hyperbolic pattern. At the same time, under strict symmetric boundary conditions, the voltage magnitude of the optical threshold effect decreases exponentially with an increase in the pretilt angle of LC molecules on the orienting surfaces. If the boundary conditions are rigid and antisymmetric, an increase in the pretilt angle on the orienting surfaces results in a linear decrease of the optical threshold voltage of the effect. The voltage magnitude of the optical threshold effect increases linearly with an increase in the twist angle of the LC structure in the cell, for both symmetric and antisymmetric boundary conditions. A decrease in the anchoring energy of LC molecules on a substrate leads to a decrease in the voltage of the optical threshold of the effect, and this regularity has an exponential character depending on the reciprocal value of the anchoring energy of LC molecules on orienting substrates.

Modulation of Light Transmission in Self-Organized Ensembles of Nematic Domains

Using an electric field, the transmission of light passing through self-organized ensembles of nematic domains is studied. Modulation characteristics of the ensembles containing domains with non-oriented and magnetic-field-oriented disclination lines are compared. A significant decrease in light scattering is shown when disclination lines are oriented. The calculated and well agreeing with them experimental dependences of light transmission on electric voltage applied to liquid crystal cells are obtained and presented. Oscillations on light transmission curves are studied. Superpositions of ordinary and extraordinary waves propagating through the domain ensembles and homogeneous planar liquid crystal layers are considered. The spectral characteristics of the ensembles are presented.

Spontaneously homogeneous alignment of liquid crystals on self-assembly organic rubrene

A novel spontaneously homogeneous liquid crystal (LC) alignment with self-assembled organic rubrene layer on the substrate surface has been reported. The spontaneous alignment technique without surface pre-treatment results in low cost, short processing time, and the room-temperature processing extends application to plastic device. The rubrene-nematic LC mixture is used to fabricate the LC cell. During the capillary filling, the LC molecules align in the flow direction. Meanwhile, the flow-induced LC alignment enforces the tetracene of the rubrene dopants along the flow direction because of the van der Waals and π–π interactions between the rubrene and LC molecules. Afterwards, the rubrene dopants spontaneously migrate onto substrate surface and self-assemble as the triclinic crystalline rubrene (TCR) with ribbon morphology. The LC alignment on TCR has a low pretilt angle, thereby providing a homogeneous LC alignment spontaneously. LC alignment on TCR shows a higher thermal stability compared to conventional polyimide due to the strong interactions of the rubrene and LC molecules. Moreover, the rubrene molecules remain in the bulk suppress the free-ions, decrease the rotational viscosity of LCs and hence shortening the response time of cell. The suppressed free-ions also decrease the screening effect on the substrate surfaces and hence the operation voltage of cell. The TCR structure on the substrate surface and the residual rubrene molecules dispersed in the bulk simultaneously contribute to the enhancement in electro-optical performance of the LC cell.

Enhancement in electrical response of liquid crystals with carbon nanotubes doping

ABSTRACT The Freedericksz transition threshold is investigated in a homogeneously aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) doped liquid crystal (LC) planar cell. By neglecting the aggregate and bundle formation of CNTs in a low concentration of CNT doped LC cell, the reduction in the Freedericksz transition threshold is calculated theoretically. Flexoelectric polarisation tensorial expansion in terms of the order parameter and the generalised Helfrich theory is used to estimate the flexoelectric coefficients in the mixture. Dipolar and quadrupolar polarisations are studied in the flexoelectric coefficients of the mixture. It is shown that doping CNTs changes the flexoelectric coefficients through the order parameter of LCs. According to these calculations, for the LC molecules with a dipole moment parallel to their molecular axis, up to 4-fold increase in flexoelectric coefficient is expected, which is in good accordance with experimental reports. Also, it is shown that in the absence of dipolar flexoelectricity, the quadrupolar polarisation is responsible for the changes of the flexoelectric coefficients.

Electro-optic properties of liquid crystal cells with nanowall electrodes

This work fabricates a nanowall electrode for achieving advanced liquid crystal (LC) devices and improving LC displays. The nanowall electrode consists of indium–tin–oxide (ITO) sheets stacked with nanowalls, and the nanowalls have a height and thickness of 4 µm and 500 nm, respectively. The high aspect ratio (8.0) of the nanowalls sets the nanowall electrode apart from previous electrodes. A flat electrode that comprises only ITO sheets is used to evaluate the nanowall electrode. The LC cell with the nanowall electrode exhibits better electro-optic properties than the LC cell with the flat electrode due to the strong transverse electric field and small subelectrode gap of the nanowall electrode. Especially, the operating voltage (3.7 V) of the nanowall cell is 36% smaller than that (5.8 V) of the flat cell. Therefore, nanowall electrodes have potential in LC lenses, LC antennas, metaverse displays, and digital optics.

High electrical characteristics through graphene oxide doping process on physicochemically reformed inorganic thin films.

This study investigated the improvement of the electro-optical properties of a liquid crystal (LC) cell fabricated through brush coating using graphene oxide (GO) doping. The physical deformation of the surface was analyzed using atomic force microscopy. The size of the groove increased as the GO dopant concentration increased, but the direction of the groove along the brush direction was maintained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the number of C-C and O-Sn bonds increased as the GO concentration increased. Since the van der Waals force on the surface increases as the number of O-metal bonds increases, we were able to determine why the anchoring energy of the LC alignment layer increased. This was confirmed by residual DC voltage and anchoring energy measurements that were later performed. As the GO concentration increased, the width of the hysteresis curve decreased, indicating that the residual DC voltage decreased. Additionally, the 15% GO-doped sample exhibited a significant increase in its anchoring energy up to 1.34 × 10-3J/m2, which is similar to that of rubbed polyimide. It also secured a high level of electro-optical properties and demonstrated potential as a next-generation thin-film display despite being produced via a simple brush-coating process.

Influence of the Surface Energy of Polymer Alignment Layers on the Optical Quality of Smectic C* Liquid Crystal Cells

Influence of the Surface Energy of Polymer Alignment Layers on the Optical Quality of Smectic C* Liquid Crystal Cells

Low-cost, high-speed multispectral imager via spatiotemporal modulation based on a color camera

Spectral imaging is a powerful tool in industrial processes, medical imaging, and fundamental scientific research. However, for the commonly used spatial/spectral-scanning spectral imager, the slow response time has posed a big challenge for its employment in dynamic scenes. In this paper, we propose a spatiotemporal modulation concept and build a simple, low-cost spectral imager by combining a liquid crystal (LC) cell with a commercial color camera. By the synergic effect of temporal modulation of the LC materials and spatial modulation of the Bayer filter in a color camera, high-quality multispectral imaging is successfully demonstrated with a high rate of 8 Hz, far beyond the counterparts. Experimental results show that even with three tuning states of the LC material, optical signals with a 10-nm band can be resolved in the range between 410 and 700 nm by this method, overcoming the tradeoff between spectral resolution and time resolution. As a proof of demonstration, we present its potential usage for metamerism recognition, showing superiority over traditional color cameras with more spectral details. Considering its low cost, miniaturization and monolithic-integration ability on color sensors, this simple approach may bring the spectral imaging technology closer to the consumer market and even to ubiquitous smartphones for health care, food inspection and other applications.

Broad-wave reflection of polymer-stabilised cholesterol liquid crystal with nanofibers doped magnetic nanoparticles

ABSTRACT In this study, the polymer-stabilised cholesterol-based liquid crystal (PSCLC) films with broad-wave reflection were prepared via PVA nanofibers as carriers loaded with Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Fe3O4 nanoparticles have absorption properties in the UV region. When UV light is irradiated along the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, the resulting gradient distribution of UV light intensity induces a gradient distribution of spacing and thus a broad-wave reflection. Specifically, the effects of nanoparticles content loaded in nanofibers, magnetic field strength, polymerisation time and temperature, UV light intensity and polymerised monomer content were studied. The result shows that the proper contents of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the polymerisation conditions have favourable impacts on the broad-wave reflection of PSCLC films. To clarify the mechanism of formed broad-wave reflection, the morphology of nanofibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The modification of nanoparticles was collected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infrared spectroscopy. The texture of PSCLC films was observed by POM. The broad-wave reflection were measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. This strategy broadens the broad-wave reflection of PSCLC films from 300 nm to 476 nm increasing its application potential in UV shielding devices, and infrared thermal control devices.

Suppression of laser speckle contrast using negative dielectric anisotropy nematic liquid crystal doped with an ionic medium

ABSTRACT A liquid crystal (LC) with negative dielectric anisotropy called N-(4-Methoxybenzylidene)-4-Butylaniline (MBBA) doped with the ionic agent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been investigated as a speckle suppression device to reduce the laser’s speckle contrast. The electrohydrodynamic instabilities (EHDI) effect in LC is exploited to reduce speckle contrast. The EHDI effect causes chaotic turbulence in LC, resulting in dynamic scattering of the incident light beam. In order to investigate the electro-optic properties and frequency region for optimal performance, optical measurements and dielectric spectroscopy of the pristine and doped LC are performed. The dielectric characteristics of the LC demonstrate that the frequency range to produce the EHDI effect in the LC cell is broadened as the ionic agent is doped. The inclusion of ions also enhances the ion density, mobility, and conductivity in LC. The increase in ion density and mobility enhances the turbulence in the LC at a faster rate; as a result, the dynamic scattering becomes more rapid. When measured with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, the faster dynamic scattering provides higher suppression in the laser’s speckle contrast. This method can be used to reduce the speckle contrast in laser source-based imaging and projection displays.

Complete light polarization control using a chiral-nematic cell with tangential-conical boundary conditions

Light polarization control by the chiral-nematic cell with hybrid tangential-conical boundary conditions has been studied by means of photo- and electrically induced transformations of the orientational structure. The polarization azimuth changes due to the power ratio of ultraviolet and blue radiations, at which the director twist angle in the chiral nematic varies smoothly. The light polarization ellipticity is controlled by an electric field applied perpendicular to the liquid crystal cell changing the effective anisotropy of the refractive index. The optical material under study is promising to develop the devices for the light polarization converter over the entire visible range, as well as for photo-controlled rotators of linear polarization of white light.

Multifunctional Metasurface Tuning by Liquid Crystals in Three Dimensions.

Optical metasurfaces present remarkable opportunities for manipulating wave propagation in unconventional ways, surpassing the capabilities of traditional optical devices. In this work, we introduce and demonstrate a multifunctional dynamic tuning of dielectric metasurfaces containing liquid crystals (LCs) through an effective three-dimensional (3D) control of the molecular orientation. We theoretically and experimentally study the spectral tuning of the electric and magnetic resonances of dielectric metasurfaces, which was enabled by rotating an external magnetic field in 3D. Our approach allows for the independent control of the electric and magnetic resonances of a metasurface, enabling multifunctional operation. The magnetic field tuning approach eliminates the need for the pre-alignment of LCs and is not limited by a finite set of directions in which the LC molecules can be oriented. Our results open new pathways for realizing dynamically reconfigurable metadevices and observing novel physical effects without the usual limitations imposed by the boundary conditions of LC cells and the external voltage.

Formation of polymerizable layer on a photo-alignment layer of liquid crystal cell and its image sticking characteristics

The effect for polymerizable layer on a vertical-type photo-alignment layer was investigated from the point of image sticking characteristics. Fabrication process of the polymerizable layer is followings; photo-alignment treatment is firstly carried out by exposing polarized ultraviolet (UV) from the oblique direction. After construction of the liquid crystal (LC) cell, the LC material including monomers is injected, and unpolarized UV is exposed for formation of the polymerizable layer. For avoiding pretilt angle shift during the exposure, fast rate constant of polymerization is necessary, and mixed monomers 4,4’-dimethacryloyl-oxy-biphenyl (4,4’-DMABiph) and 4,4’-dimethacryloyl-oxy-benzilketal (4,4’-DMABzk) are appropriate for obtaining small level of image sticking parameters. As the image sticking parameters, residual direct current voltage (V rDC) and difference in pretilt angle (Δtilt) before and after application of alternate current voltage were evaluated, and the results of V rDC and Δtilt indicated that 6% 4,4’-DMABzk in the mixed monomers 4,4’-DMABiph and 4,4’-DMABzk would be useful for obtaining the small level of image sticking.