Electro-optical properties cholesteric liquid of polymer stabilized crystal film＊

Liquid crystals （LCs） and polymers are extensively used in various electro-optical applications. In this paper, normal mode polymer stabilized cholesteric LC film is prepared and studied. The effects of chiral dopant and monomer concentrations on the electro-optical properties, such as contrast ratio, driving voltage, hysteresis width and response time, are investigated. The reasons of electro-optical properties influenced by the concentrations of the materials are discussed. Through the proper material recipe, the electro-optical properties of polymer stabilized cholesteric LC film can be optimized.

Electro-optical properties of high birefringence liquid crystal compounds with isothiocyanate and naphthyl group

Liquid crystal（LC） compound with isothiocyanate and naphthyl group is an attractive high birefringence LC material,and can be used in optical devices. In this paper, the electro-optical properties of a series of this type of LC compounds were investigated. The melting points and enthalpy values of these LC compounds were higher than those of corresponding compounds with the phenyl group. These compounds exhibited high birefringence with a maximum value of 0.66. Fluorine substitution in the molecular almost does not affect the birefringence value. When these LC compounds with the naphthyl group were dissolved in a commercial LC mixture, the electro-optical properties depending on temperature were investigated. In the low-temperature region, LC mixtures with the naphthyl-group LC compounds exhibited higher viscosity than pure commercial LCs. In the high-temperature region, viscosity values very closely approached each other. When response performance was investigated, figure-of-merit（FoM） values were measured. The Fo M values of LC mixtures containing LC compounds with naphthyl group were lower than those of reference benzene LCs in the low-temperature region. However, in the high-temperature region, the results were reversed. These isothiocyanate LC compounds with naphthyl group can be applied in special fast-response LC device, particularly the ones used under high-temperature conditions.

Electro-optical properties and(E,F) phase diagram of fluorinated chiral smectic liquid crystals

Fluorinated smectic liquid crystals each with a biphenyl benzoate rigid core are investigated. Molecular structures of the studied compounds have difference only in fluorine position and the length of the carbon chain. Dielectric relaxation study and electro-optical measurements are carried out with the classical SSFLC geometry. The field-induced phase transitions are studied and the（E,T） phase diagram is established.

Magneto and Electro-Optic Intensity Modulator Based on Liquid Crystal and Magnetic Fluid Filled Photonic Crystal Fiber

We propose a novel light intensity modulator based on magnetic fluid and liquid crystal（LC） filled photonic crystal fibers（PCFs）. The influences of electric and magnetic fields on the transmission intensity are theoretically and experimentally analyzed and investigated. Both the electric and magnetic fields can manipulate the molecular arrangement of LC to array a certain angle without changing the refractive index of the LC. Therefore, light loss in the PCF varies with the electric and magnetic fields whereas the peak wavelengths remain constant. The experimental results show that the transmission intensity decreases with the increase of the electric and magnetic fields. The cut-off electric field is 0.899 V/um at 20 Hz and the cut-off magnetic field is 195 m T. This simple and compacted optical modulator will have a great prospect in sensing applications.

Electro-optical Properties of Liquid Crystal Composite Materials

The liquid crystal composite materials consist of microdroplets of liquid crystals which are spontaneously formed in a matrix of a polymer at the time of its polymerization. The director configuration in liquid crystal droplets, the model of orientation of droplets, and the contrast ratios of a cell are investigated. Droplet size, spacing and distribution are readily controlled in these materials to allow optimization of displays based upon electrically controlled light scattering from the liquid crystal droplets. Preliminary experimental and theoretical studies of the light scattering and electro-optic response of new material show that these materials can offer new features suitable for large area displays and light valves.

Interference effect on the liquid-crystal-based Stokes polarimeter

The Stokes polarimeter based on liquid crystal variable retarders(LCVRs)is envisaged as a promising novel technique for polarization measurement in space applications due to the inherent advantage of eliminating the need for conventional rotating polarizing optics and increasing the measuring speed.However,the intrinsic multi-beam interference in LCVRs limits its polarization accuracy by several percent.How to eliminate the influence of the interference effect becomes an urgent issue for the liquid-crystal-based Stokes polarimeter.The present study introduces a simplified but effective interference model based on the thin-film optics and polarized light theory to simulate the relationship between the interference effect of the LCVRs-based Stokes polarimeter and the polarization accuracy.The simulation results show that the transmittance variation of LCVR with the derived voltage is caused by multi beam interference between the indium tin oxide(ITO)film and the liquid crystal within LCVR,which produces a few percent of instrumental polarization.The instrumental polarization is about 0.01 and different for different wavelengths.An optimization method was proposed to reduce the instrumental polarization to 0.002,effectively improving the polarization sensitivity of the Stokes polarimeter limited by the interference.In addition,an experimental setup was built up to measure and analyze the influence of the interference effect of the LCVRs-based Stokes polarimeter on the polarization accuracy before and after the optimization.The experiment results are in good agreement with the simulation.

Odd-even Effect on Liquid Crystalline Behavior for C_3-Cyclotriveratrylene(CTV) Derivatives Containing Alkoxies with Different Lengths as Peripheral Groups

A series of bowlic cyclotriveratrylenes（CTV） with peripheral groups with different lengths were synthesized.These compounds were investigated by diferential scanning calorimetry and hot stage coupled polarizing microscopy.Several CTV derivatives show thermotropic liquid crystalline properties.The experimental results of their thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior indicate that the clear points,the entropy changes of melting points,the crystallization temperatures,and their entropy changes all exhibited an evident odd-even effect except the melting points,which decreased monotonously with the increase of the length of the alkoxy groups.The parameter values of CTVs with even number carbon atoms were larger than those of CTVs with odd number.When the length of alkoxyl chains was even longer,a monotonous decrease occured.Nevertheless,in the case of the entropy changes of both melting points and crystallization temperatures,the effect was valid for all the six species,and therefore,the whole curves presented as a zig-zag form.

Effect of Polymer Network Morphology on the Performance of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) Composite Films

The effects of the morphologies of liquid crystal (LC) droplets left in polymer network on the performance of polymer dispersed liquid crystal composite films were investigated.By adjusting the relative content range of the crosslinking and diluents,the morphologies of polymer network can be changed.Therefore,the properties of PDLC composite films with imparity polymer morphologies were obtained by experiments and the finite element simulation.Results of the experimental and finite element simulation showed that the electro-optical properties of PDLC composite films were inversely proportional to the domain size of the polymer network and the mechanical properties were proportional to the domain size of the polymer network.

Kerr effect and Kerr constant enhancement in vertically aligned deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystals

In this article,we review recently achieved Kerr effect progress in novel liquid crystal（LC） material：vertically aligned deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal（VADHFLC）.With an increasing applied electric field,the induced inplane birefringence of LCs shows quadratic nonlinearity.The theoretical calculations and experimental details are illustrated.With an enhanced Kerr constant to 130 nm/V2,this VADHFLC cell can achieve a 2π modulation by a small efficient electric field with a fast response around 100 μs and thus can be employed in both display and photonics devices.

Forming of A New Liquid Crystalline through Hydrogen Bonding

A stable Sc phase is formed through hydrogen bonding between side-chain aromatic acid groups of polysiloxane: Bending of polysiloxane with N-Acetyl Latimic acid (NAA) gives a chiral S c * phase; The influence of polymerism and hydrogen bond induction effect over mesophase is discussed. The influence of NAA over mesophase is studied.

Study on Internal Supersonic Flows with Pseudo-shock Wave Using Liquid Crystal Flow Visualization Method

The flow visualization technique using shear-sensitive liquid crystal is applied to the investigation of a Mach 2 internal supersonic flow with pseudo-shock wave （PSW） in a pressure-vacuum supersonic wind tunnel. It provides qualitative information mainly concerning the overall flow structure, such as the turbulent boundary layer separation, reattachment locations and the dimensionalities of the flow. Besides, it can also give understanding of the surface streamlines, vortices in separation region and the corner effect of duct flow. Two kinds of crystals with different viscosities are used in experiments to analyze the viscosity effect. Results are compared with schlieren picture, confirming the effectiveness of liquid crystal in flow-visualization.

Optical simulation of in-plane-switching blue phase liquid crystal display using the finite-difference time-domain method

The finite-difference time-domain method is used to simulate the optical characteristics of an in-plane switching blue phase liquid crystal display.Compared with the matrix optic methods and the refractive method,the finite-difference timedomain method,which is used to directly solve Maxwell＇s equations,can consider the lateral variation of the refractive index and obtain an accurate convergence effect.The simulation results show that e-rays and o-rays bend in different directions when the in-plane switching blue phase liquid crystal display is driven by the operating voltage.The finitedifference time-domain method should be used when the distribution of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal display has a large lateral change.

Studies on Liquid Crystalline Bis[4-(p-phenoxy)-phenylbenzoate]Alkyldicarboxylat

A new series of liquid crystals of bis[4-(p-phenoxy)-phenylbenzoate]-alkyldicarboxylate which contain two rigid groups connected by a flexible spacer was synthesized. These liquid crystals show nematic phase and were found to show odd even effect in isotropization temperature and entropy change.

PREPARATION OF POLYMER DISPERSED LIQUID CRYSTALS USING PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION

2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and styrene copolymers are prepared by photopolymerization. The electrooptical behavior and microstructure of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal films are investigated by using He-Ne laser and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. With increasing E7 content in the copolymer, droplet size increased, threshold voltage decreased.

Stability of liquid crystal systems doped withγ-Fe_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles

In order to explore the stability of a liquid crystal(LC)system doped withγ-Fe_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles,the physical properties(clearing point,dielectric properties),electro-optical properties and residual direct-current voltage(RDCV)of the doped LC system were measured and evaluated at different times.First,the temperature was controlled by precision hot stage,and the clearing point temperature of doped LC was observed and measured by a polarized optical microscope.Using a precision LCR meter,we measured the capacitance-voltage curves of the doped LC system at the temperature of 27℃.The dielectric constant of doped LC was calculated by the dualcell capacitance method.Then,the electro-optical properties of the doped LC system were measured.Finally,the RDCV of the doped LC system was measured and calculated.After five months,the parameters of the doped LC system were re-measured and analyzed under the same conditions to evaluate its stability.The experimental results show that,within five months,the clearing point change rate of doped LC is in the range of 0.24%-1.37%,the change of dielectric anisotropy is in the range of 0.035-0.2,the curves of electro-optical properties are basically fitted,and the change rate of saturated RDCV is about 11.2%,which basically indicate that the LC system doped withγ-Fe_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles has good stability.

Low voltage transflective blue-phase liquid crystal display with a non-uniform etching substrate

A transflective polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal display（BP-LCD） with a non-uniform etching substrate is proposed.In-plane switching（IPS） electrodes on the bottom substrate are put on the different gaps,and the bottom substrate between the electrodes is etched into different depths in transmissive（T） and reflective（R） regions.This structure can balance the optical phase retardation in the two regions and is helpful to achieve well-matched voltag-dependent transmittance and reflectance curves.This transflective display has high optical efficiency,a wide viewing angle,and low operating voltage（approximately 6 V）.

Asymmetric dynamic phase holographic grating in nematic liquid crystal

A new scheme for recording a dynamic phase grating with an asymmetric profile in C60-doped homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal（NLC） was presented.An oblique incidence beam was used to record the thin asymmetric dynamic phase holographic grating.The diffraction efficiency we achieved is more than 40%,exceeding the theoretical limit for symmetric profile gratings.Both facts can be explained by assuming that a grating with an asymmetric saw-tooth profile is formed in the NLC.Finally,physical mechanism and mathematical model for characterizing the asymmetric phase holographic grating were presented,based on the photo-refractive-like（PR-like） effect.

Effects of morphology and concentration of CuS nanoparticles on alignment and electro-optic properties of nematic liquid crystal

Nanoparticles （NPs） with flower-like and frame morphologies were synthesized from CuS, a remarkable transition-metal sulfide. We introduced two kinds of CuS NPs into a nematic liquid crystal （LC） 4-cyano-4＇-n-pentylbiphenyl （5CB） and investigated the morphology- and concentration-dependent alignment and electro-optic （E-O） effects of CuS NPs on 5CB. A trace amount of flower-like CuS NPs induced a uniform homeotropic orientation of LC molecules; this is attributable to the obtained desirable compact nanosheet structure. Moreover, both flower-like and frame CuS NPs induced a remarkable improvement in the E-O properties of 5CB, and the flower-like CuS/5CB system exhibited a better performance. The doped CuS NPs in the LC host suppressed the shielding effect and strengthened the electric field, resulting in outstanding E-O properties. At a doping concentration of 0.05 wt.%, CuS NPs were well-dispersed and achieved the optimum E-O performance. This study provides a novel method for inducing a uniform orientation and enhanced E-O properties of LC molecules by doping with extraordinary CuS NPs, leading to potential applications in establishing flexible LC displays.

基于创新人才培养的近代物理实验教学探索——以“液晶电光效应实验”为例

为了满足新时代多学科背景复合型人才培养需要,尤其是培养理工融合拔尖创新人才的需要,基于近年来的教学实践,以“液晶电光效应实验”为例,从教学方式、知识结构以及实验内容3个角度,对如何提高近代物理实验教学质量进行了探究。课堂教学采用互动式问题驱动;有机融入液晶科学发展及其显示工程应用,强调基础研究发现和工程应用的内在联系,培养理科学生的工程创新意识;引导学生进一步自主探究,如研究不同电场条件下液晶衍射图案现象,鼓励学生观察、记录和探究不同衍射图案的出现条件及其演化规律,进而探讨对应的液晶微结构基础,并从自由能的角度阐释相应的动力学相变行为。通过自主探究,巩固融合学生理论物理知识,训练学生探究能力,培养学生科技创新意识。