Wedge Cell Research Articles

Confinement and magnetic-field effect on chiral ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals in Grandjean-Cano wedge cells.

We explore the structure and magnetic-field response of edge dislocations in Grandjean-Cano wedge cells filled with chiral mixtures of the ferroelectric nematic mesogen DIO. Upon cooling, the ordering changes from paraelectric in the cholesteric phase N^{*} to antiferroelectric in the smectic SmZ_{A}^{*} and to ferroelectric in the cholesteric N_{F}^{*}. Dislocations of the Burgers vector b equal to the helicoidal pitch P are stable in all three phases, while dislocations with b=P/2 exist only in the N^{*} and SmZ_{A}^{*}. The b=P/2 dislocations split into pairs of τ^{-1/2}λ^{+1/2} disclinations, while the thick dislocations b=P are pairs of nonsingular λ^{-1/2}λ^{+1/2} disclinations. The polar order makes the τ^{-1/2} disclinations unstable in the N_{F}^{*} phase, as they should be connected to singular walls in the polarization field. We propose a model of transformation of the composite τ^{-1/2} line-wall defect into a nonsingular λ^{-1/2} disclination, which is paired up with a λ^{+1/2} line to form a b=P dislocation. The SmZ_{A}^{*} behavior in the in-plane magnetic field is different from that of the N_{F}^{*} and N^{*}: the dislocations show no zigzag instability, and the pitch remains unchanged in the magnetic fields up to 1 T. The behavior is associated with the finite compressibility of smectic layers.

Quickly Formed Continuously Tuneable Laser in the Full Visible Spectrum Using Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Cells Based on the Electrothermal Effect

AbstractWavelength‐tuneable lasers can play a crucial role across many fields, and their applications continue to expand with advancements. Cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) devices are developed, enabling good wavelength‐tuneable lasers. In CLC devices, pitch control is required to tune the desired wavelength. However, pitch control takes a long time and is difficult, which limits the speed and range of laser wavelength tuning. Here, by applying a voltage once and forming an electric field gradient along the wedge direction in the CLC wedge cell, we could realize CLC pitch gradient arrays that achieve continuous wavelength tuning over 500 nm in only 10 min through the electrothermal effect while continuously generating laser lines in the full visible spectrum. The laser wavelength could be rapidly tuned over the full visible spectrum by moving within the array in the wedge cell. The study of CLC cells for electric field application in real time is able to observe the dynamic process of pitch change directly. This new laser device and strategy has potential in many fields that require active laser tuning and is expected to lead to innovative changes in the development of future practical laser devices in the optical industry.

Selective phase transition of cholesteric blue phase I induced by pattern-controlled Grandjean–Cano disclinations

This study investigates the influence of Grandjean–Cano disclinations on the cholesteric-blue phase I (Ch-BPI) phase transition, revealing the pivotal role of defects in the phase transition of liquid crystals (LCs). We prepared the disclinations by wedge cells or parallel cells with an alignment pattern and demonstrated that the disclinations induce a phase transition in Ch-BPI. Furthermore, we demonstrated the control of the BPI appearance areas by utilizing this property. This defect-induced transition technique not only provides a novel method for controlling BPI orientation, but also offers insights into soft material crystal growth, suggesting potential applications in new BPLC-based device development.

A selective defect in the glial wedge as part of the neuroepithelium disruption in hydrocephalus development in the mouse hyh model is associated with complete corpus callosum dysgenesis.

Dysgenesis of the corpus callosum is present in neurodevelopmental disorders and coexists with hydrocephalus in several human congenital syndromes. The mechanisms that underlie the etiology of congenital hydrocephalus and agenesis of the corpus callosum when they coappear during neurodevelopment persist unclear. In this work, the mechanistic relationship between both disorders is investigated in the hyh mouse model for congenital hydrocephalus, which also develops agenesis of the corpus callosum. In this model, hydrocephalus is generated by a defective program in the development of neuroepithelium during its differentiation into radial glial cells. In this work, the populations implicated in the development of the corpus callosum (callosal neurons, pioneering axons, glial wedge cells, subcallosal sling and indusium griseum glial cells) were studied in wild-type and hyh mutant mice. Immunohistochemistry, mRNA in situ hybridization, axonal tracing experiments, and organotypic cultures from normal and hyh mouse embryos were used. Our results show that the defective program in the neuroepithelium/radial glial cell development in the hyh mutant mouse selectively affects the glial wedge cells. The glial wedge cells are necessary to guide the pioneering axons as they approach the corticoseptal boundary. Our results show that the pioneering callosal axons arising from neurons in the cingulate cortex can extend projections to the interhemispheric midline in normal and hyh mice. However, pioneering axons in the hyh mutant mouse, when approaching the area corresponding to the damaged glial wedge cell population, turned toward the ipsilateral lateral ventricle. This defect occurred before the appearance of ventriculomegaly. In conclusion, the abnormal development of the ventricular zone, which appears to be inherent to the etiology of several forms of congenital hydrocephalus, can explain, in some cases, the common association between hydrocephalus and corpus callosum dysgenesis. These results imply that further studies may be needed to understand the corpus callosum dysgenesis etiology when it concurs with hydrocephalus.

Magnetic field-induced Freedericksz transition in a chiral liquid crystal

A wedge cell made of homeotropically treated glass plates is filled with a chirally doped nematic liquid crystal. When a sufficiently large magnetic field is applied in the cell plane, a bend-like distortion occurs above a Fréedericksz threshold field Hth. Hth is reduced from the achiral case because of a field-induced bend distortion that facilitates a chiral twist distortion. Measurements of Hth vs sample thickness are reported and compared favorably with a theoretical model presented herein. A further theoretical comparison is made between Hth and the electric-field-induced transition in a geometry, exhibiting a 2π azimuthal degeneracy. The results may have technological implications in, for example, in-plane switching devices.

Metal-Ion Specific Recognition with Amplified Transcription from Subnanometer to Submillimeter or Real-Time Domain by Self-Assembled Vanadyl Quartets.

Vanadyl(V) complexes 1 and 2 bearing a nematic liquid crystal (LC) like a p-heptoxyphenyl group or a fluorous-tag p-nonafluoroheptoxyphenyl (NFH) group at the C5 position of the N-salicylidene template were designed and synthesized. Each complex was subjected to MVO3-induced self-assembly to form metal-ion, encapsulated quartet clusters 3-M and 3'-M. The Na+ in cluster complex 3-Na or 3'-Na can be readily replaced by Rb+, Ag+, or Hg2+ in an aqueous layer to form cluster complexes by ion swapping at the H2O/CDCl3 bilayer interface. Selectivity profiles were examined with alkali-metal ions, Ag+, and Hg2+ through metal-ion competition experiments. The 3'-Na has an exclusive selectivity for Hg2+ in the presence of Zn2+ and Cd2+. Cluster complexes 3-M were utilized as chiral dopants to nematic LC materials. The effects of the encapsulated metal ions within the alkali family and Ag+ on Cano's line widths and helical pitch changes were viewed in wedge cells under a polarized microscope. Their correlations with the ionic radius were identified. The subnano information of the metal ions can thus be asymmetrically amplified to Cano's line spacings of the submilimeter domain. Conversely, the effects of the encapsulated alkali metal ions and Hg2+ in 3'-M on the interactions of their NFH tails toward fluorous silica gel (FSG) were performed via HPLC analyses. Their retention times became longer as the sizes of encapsulated, alkali metal ions increased. The increasing ion size from Na+ to Cs+ caused the four lower rim NFH tags of the cluster to be closer due to reduced cone angles. Their interactions among NFH tail groups on FSG became larger, thus leading to distinctive separations with tR from 7.36 to 10.27 min. The retention time difference between 3'-Na and 3'-Hg on HPLC was ∼3.6 min, resulting in discernible separation. The individual ion size differences on the subnano scale can thus be amplified and unambiguously established in the real time domain.

Re-entrant transition as a bridge of broken ergodicity in confined monolayers of hexagonal prisms and cylinders

The entropy-driven monolayer assembly of hexagonal prisms and cylinders was studied under hard slit confinement. At the conditions investigated, the particles have two distinct and dynamically disconnected rotational states: unflipped and flipped, depending on whether their circular/hexagonal face is parallel or perpendicular to the wall plane. Importantly, these two rotational states cast distinct projection areas over the wall plane that favor either hexagonal or tetragonal packing. Monte Carlo simulations revealed a re-entrant melting transition where an intervening disordered Flipped-Unflipped (FUN) phase is sandwiched between a fourfold tetratic phase at high concentrations and a sixfold triangular solid at intermediate concentrations. The FUN phase contains a mixture of flipped and unflipped particles and is translationally and orientationally disordered. Complementary experiments were conducted with photolithographically fabricated cylindrical microparticles confined in a wedge cell. Both simulations and experiments show the formation of phases with comparable fraction of flipped particles and structure, i.e., the FUN phase, triangular solid, and tetratic phase, indicating that both approaches sample analogous basins of particle-orientation phase-space. The phase behavior of hexagonal prisms in a soft-repulsive wall model was also investigated to exemplify how tunable particle–wall interactions can provide an experimentally viable strategy to dynamically bridge the flipped and unflipped states.

A New Class of Chiral Nematic Phase with Helical Polar Order.

A novel chiral nematic phase with a polar helical order is realized via the introduction of helical twisting power into a polar nematogen. The properties of the induced polar nematic (polar cholesteric: Np*) phase differ from those of the conventional cholesteric (N*) phases existing thus far. Np*, which is a new class of N* structures, is characterized not only by its helically twisted nematic director, but also by a continuously twisted polarization. Transmission spectroscopy and helical pitch measurements in a wedge cell revealed that the half-helical pitch in the Np* phase vanished because of the polar response in the Np* helix. The inner polar director in the Np* phase is confirmed in dielectric and second-harmonic-generation studies. Furthermore, this unique Np*LC, which corresponds to a half-/full-pitch helix, enables ultrafast electro-optic switching (τ<20µs), and proposes new potential applications for electrically interchangeable photonic bandgaps.

Two New Platynus Bonelli (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini) from Nevis and St. Kitts, Lesser Antilles

Platynus (Dyscolus) racquelae Liebherr and Ivie, new species is described from the Crater Rim, in the Parish of St. John Capisterre, St. Kitts, and Platynus (Dyscolus) duportei Liebherr and Ivie, new species is described from Nevis Peak, Nevis. These species are placed in the Platynus (Dyscolus) memnonius (Dejean) group, with their addition to the group extending the group's aggregate distribution northward from Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe to St. Kitts. Based on extensive collections of the Coleoptera of St. Kitts, P. racquelae appears to be restricted to only the wettest areas at highest elevations, suggesting that this species requires rather specific conditions present only in the most extreme montane sites. The beetles also exhibit moderate flight wing reduction involving diminution of wing veins associated with wing-folding—specifically, veins associated with the wedge and oblongum cells—and foreshortening of the alar surface due to loss of membrane along the wing's apical margin. This suggests that individuals of P. racquelae are at best weak fliers, and that this species is not able to colonize isolated patches of suitable habitat by flight. Platynus duportei is likewise known from only the highest and wettest point on Nevis Peak, but this species exhibits fully developed flight wings. Additional records of Platynus (Dyscolus) luciae Liebherr from St Lucia, and of Glyptolenus chalybaeus (Dejean) are reported, allowing elucidation of flight wing configuration and male and female genitalia for the former, and new island records of Nevis and Saba for the latter.

Spectroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography for Thin Layer and Foil Measurements.

The main goal of this research was to assess if it is possible to evaluate the thickness of thin layers (both thin films on the surface and thin layers below the surface of the tested object) and foils using optical coherence tomography (OCT) for thickness assessment under the resolution of the standard commercially available OCT measurement system. In the proposed solution, light backscattered from the evaluated thin layer has been expressed as a multiple beam interference. Therefore, the OCT system was modeled as a two-beam interferometer (e.g., Michelson), in which one beam propagates from the reference arm and the other comes from a Fabry–Pérot interferometer. As a consequence, the mathematical model consists of the main Michelson interferometer, in which the measuring arm represents the Fabry–Pérot interferometer. The parameters of the layer (or foil) are evaluated by analyzing the minimum value of the interference contrast. The model developed predicts the behavior of the thin layers made from different materials (with different refractive indexes) with different thickness and located at different depths. To verify the correctness of the proposed model, an experiment with a wedge cell has been carried out. The wedge cell was shifted across the scanning beam using a linear translation stage with a micrometer screw under the scanning head. The relationship between the thickness of the gap of the wedge cell and the OCT output signal is presented. For the additional verification of the proposed model, the results of the measurements of the thickness of the thin foil were compared with the theoretical results of the simulations. The film thickness was evaluated based on the calculated positions of the minimum value of interference contrast. A combination of the standard potentialities of OCT with the proposed approach to analyzing the signal produces new metrological possibilities. The method developed allows us to evaluate thickness under the resolution of the system and the location of the layer as well. This produces the possibility of measuring a layer which is covered by another layer. Moreover, it is possible to create a thickness map with high sensitivity to thickness changes. These experiments and simulations are the culmination of preliminary research for evaluating the potential of the proposed measurement method.

Celdas en cuña para refractometría: criterios de selección de materiales y parámetros

Este trabajo presenta criterios de selección de materiales y parámetros de celdas en cuña para refractometría en el rango visible. Estas celdas consisten en dos prismas de ángulo recto enfrentados, que definen una cavidad con forma de cuña entre ellas, en la que se coloca la muestra cuyo índice de refracción se desea medir. Éste se determina a partir de la desviación de un haz luminoso que atraviesa la celda. Este modelo para fines de ingeniería tiene en cuenta la geometría de la celda y los índices de refracción del material de la celda y de la muestra. A partir de allí realizamos el cálculo numérico y trazado de rayos correspondiente al sistema óptico. También proponemos ajustes polinómicos para simplificar el tratamiento numérico, como complemento de las ecuaciones completas. Estos polinomios dan el índice de refracción de la muestra como una función explícita del ángulo de deflexión. Se incluye además el análisis de los errores de la aproximación.

Bilayer thermal harvesters for concentrating temperature distribution

Highly efficient thermal harvesting techniques are unfailing themes in the field of heat transfer. Owing to the unique and powerful manipulations on thermal field, great potentials on further promoting conventional harvesting techniques with tailored metamaterials have been presented. However, current harvesting schemes are mostly designed with independent wedge cells based on spatial transformations. Hence, the anisotropic parameters and difficult processes cannot be avoided, which restrict their potentials in practical applications. In this paper, such concern is addressed with the presentation of a class of bilayer harvesters for concentrating temperature distribution, which is designed by directly solving static heat transfer equations of adjacent regions without spatial transformations. Satisfied harvesting behaviors in tailored regions and non-distortional thermal profiles in ambient are numerically demonstrated. Furthermore, approximate harvesting efficiencies reveal that the previous meta-harvesters based on transformations can be efficiently replaced and innovated by the proposed schemes with homogeneous structures. The findings illustrate a novel and alternative function of designing efficient thermal harvesters for temperature distributions with homogeneous materials and simple structures, which present greater potentials on combining and motivating conventional harvesting techniques, such as solar thermal collector, and heat storage.

Sinopyrophorinae, a new subfamily of Elateridae (Coleoptera, Elateroidea) with the first record of a luminous click beetle in Asia and evidence for multiple origins of bioluminescence in Elateridae.

The new subfamily Sinopyrophorinae within Elateridae is proposed to accommodate a bioluminescent species, Sinopyrophorusschimmeli Bi & Li, gen. et sp. nov., recently discovered in Yunnan, China. This lineage is morphologically distinguished from other click-beetle subfamilies by the strongly protruding frontoclypeal region, which is longitudinally carinate medially, the pretarsal claws without basal setae, the hind wing venation with a well-defined wedge cell, the abdomen with seven (male) or six (female) ventrites, the large luminous organ on the abdominal sternite II, and the male genitalia with median lobe much shorter than parameres, and parameres arcuate, with the inner margin near its apical third dentate. Molecular phylogeny based on the combined 14 mitochondrial and two nuclear genes supports the placement of this taxon far from other luminescent click-beetle groups, which provides additional evidence for the multiple origin of bioluminescence in Elateridae. Illustrations of habitus and main diagnostic features of S.schimmeli Bi & Li, gen. et sp. nov. are provided, as well as the brief description of its luminescent behavior.

Continuously Tunable and Bandwidth Variable Optical Notch/Band-Pass Filters Over 500 nm Spectral Range Using Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

We report continuously tunable and bandwidth variable optical notch and band-pass filters created by combining four left- and right-handed circular cholesteric liquid crystal cells without extra optical components. Filter performance was greatly improved by introducing an anti-reflection layer on the filter device. The filter comprised cholesteric liquid crystal wedge cells with continuous pitch gradient. The band wavelength position was spatially tuned from 470 nm to 1000 nm. The notch filters are polarization-independent in the spectral ranges. The band pass filters can be designed to be polarization-independent or polarization-dependent via cell alignment and the bandwidth can be reversibly controlled from the original bandwidth (60~18 nm). These tunable filter strategies could make a paved road to wavelength tunable spectroscopic instruments applications in the VIS and near infrared response spectral range.

Configuration dependent output characteristics with Fabry–Perot and random lasers from dye-doped liquid crystals within glass cells

We demonstrate the abundant dynamics of dye-doped liquid crystal (DD-LC) lasers through the variation of geometric shape and rubbing polyimide (PI) of glass cells. Not only the operation states, that is, Fabry–Perot lasers (FPLs) or random lasers (RLs), were manipulated by using a parallel or wedge cell, but also the output polarizations, that is, linearly polarized or unpolarized DD-LC lasers, were determined by the rubbing PI on an output glass plate. From the α-stable distribution, the distinctive operation state of the different configurations of the DD-LC laser can be quantitatively distinguished to reveal the Gaussian and Levy distributions of the FPLs and RLs, respectively. The obviously different output characteristics are attributed to the recurrent light scattering within the LC mixtures at the output plate of the DD-LC lasers and were quantified by the transport mean free path through the measurement of the coherent backscattering technique. An unpolarized RL, outputted from a wedge cell without PI rubbing, revealed relatively low spatial coherence from interference patterns through Young’s double-slit experiment and showed low contrast monochromatic speckle patterns of about 0.039.

Continuously tunable optical notch filter and band-pass filter systems that cover the visible to near-infrared spectral ranges.

Spatially continuous tunable optical notch and band-pass filter systems that cover the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) spectral ranges from ∼460 nm to ∼1,000 nm are realized by combining left- and right-handed circular cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) wedge cells with continuous pitch gradient. The notch filter system is polarization independent in all of the spectral ranges. The band-pass filter system, when the left- and right-handed CLCs are arranged in a row, is polarization independent, while when they are arranged at right angles, they are polarization dependent; furthermore, the full-width at half-maximum of the band-pass filter can be changed reversibly from the original bandwidth of 36nm to 16nm. Depending on the CLC materials, this strategy could be applied to the UV, VIS, and IR spectral ranges. Due to the high performance in the broad spectral range, cost-effective facile fabrication process, simple mechanical control, and small size, it is expected that our optical tunable filter strategies could become one of the key parts of laser-based Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence, life science devices, optical communication systems, astronomical telescopes, and so forth.

Investigation of Kerr effect in a blue phase liquid crystal using wedge-cell technique

In this work an alternative method for refractive index measurement of blue phase liquid crystal in the Kerr effect has been described. The proposed wedge method uses simple goniometric setup, allowing for direct index measurements for any wavelengths and index values. This is significant advantage comparing to other methods, usually having limitations of the measurement range as well as necessity complicated calculation to obtain refractive indices values. The results are reliable and agree well with the subject literature. Full Text: PDF ReferencesW. Cao et al., "Lasing in a three-dimensional photonic crystal of the liquid crystal blue phase II", Nat. Mater. 1, 111-113 (2002). CrossRef S. Meiboom, M. Sammon, W.F. Brinkman, "Lattice of disclinations: The structure of the blue phases of cholesteric liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A. 27, 438 (1983). CrossRef S. Tanaka et al., "Double-twist cylinders in liquid crystalline cholesteric blue phases observed by transmission electron microscopy", Sci. Rep. 5, 16180 (2015). CrossRef Y. Li and S.-T. Wu, "Polarization independent adaptive microlens with a blue-phase liquid crystal", Opt. Express 19(9), 8045-8050 (2011). CrossRef N. Rong et al., "Polymer-Stabilized Blue-Phase Liquid Crystal Fresnel Lens Cured With Patterned Light Using a Spatial Light Modulator", J. of Disp. Technol. 12(10), 1008-1012 (2016). CrossRef J.-D. Lin et al., "Spatially tunable photonic bandgap of wide spectral range and lasing emission based on a blue phase wedge cell", Opt. Express 22(24), 29479-29492 (2014). CrossRef P. Joshi et al., "Tunable light beam steering device using polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystals", Photon. Lett. Poland 9(1), 11-13 (2017). CrossRef Ch.-W. Chen et al., "Temperature dependence of refractive index in blue phase liquid crystals", Opt. Mater. Express 3(5), 527-532 (2013). CrossRef Y.-H. Lin et al., "Measuring electric-field-induced birefringence in polymer stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals based on phase shift measurements", J. Appl. Phys. 109, 104503 (2011). CrossRef J. Yan et al., "Direct measurement of electric-field-induced birefringence in a polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal composite", Opt. Express 18(11), 11450-11455 (2010). CrossRef K.A. Rutkowska, K. Orzechowski, M. Sierakowski, "Wedge-cell technique as a simple and effective method for chromatic dispersion determination of liquid crystals", Photon. Lett. Poland 8(2), 51-53 (2016). CrossRef O. Chojnowska et al., "Electro-optical properties of photochemically stable polymer-stabilized blue-phase material", J. Appl. Phys. 116, 213505 (2014). CrossRef J. Yan et al., "Extended Kerr effect of polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals", Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 071105 (2010). CrossRef M. Chen et al., "Electrically assisting crystal growth of blue phase liquid crystals", Opt. Mater. Express 4(5), 953-959 (2014). CrossRef J. Kerr, Philos. Mag. 50, 337 (1875).

Manipulation of Polarized Random Lasers from Dye-Doped Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystals Within Wedge Cells

The characteristics of polarized random lasers (RLs), made from dye-doped twisted nematic liquid crystals (DD-TNLCs) in a wedge cell, have been investigated. Regardless of the multiple light scattering within disordered LCs inside the cell, the output polarization is compulsorily determined by the rubbing direction of PI on glass plate. Moreover, the output intensity of the RLs can be manipulated by the orientation of the linear pump polarization relative to the rubbing direction of polyimide on the incident glass plane. Through thermal control, the resonance characteristics of the RLs can be altered to generate the highest slope efficiency and lowest lasing threshold at 25 °C. The measured results indicate abundant and intriguing optical and physical properties of the DD-TNLC laser.

Active thermal fine laser tuning in a broad spectral range and optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal.

In this study, we achieved active fine laser tuning in a broad spectral range with dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal wedge-type cells through temperature control. The spatial pitch gradient of each position of the wedge cell at room temperature was almost maintained after developing a temperature gradient. To achieve the maximum tuning range, the chiral dopant concentration, thickness, thickness gradient, and temperature gradient on the wedge cell should be matched properly. In order to understand the laser tuning mechanism for temperature change, we studied the temperature dependence of optical properties of the photonic bandgap of cholesteric liquid crystals. In our cholesteric liquid crystal samples, when temperature was increased, photonic bandgaps were shifted toward blue, while the width of the photonic bandgap was decreased, regardless of whether the helicity was left-handed or right-handed. This is mainly due to the combination of decreased refractive indices, higher molecular anisotropy of chiral molecules, and increased chiral molecular solubility. We envisage that this kind of study will prove useful in the development of practical active tunable CLC laser devices.

All-optical and electro-optical switches based on the interaction with disclination lines in chiral nematic liquid crystals

We outline the main features of spatial solitons called nematicons in chiral nematic liquid crystal confined in a wedge cell. We focus on electro-optic readdressing via the interaction with the disclination line to obtain highly steerable beam propagation. Nematicons can be effectively deviated by using the electro-optics response of the medium leading to voltage-control reconfiguration of light-induced guided-wave circuits and signal readdressing.