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Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals as Mesoscale 2D and 3D Lattices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Michael J. Escuti  and
Gregory P. Crawford
Michael J. Escuti
Affiliation:
Brown University, Division of Engineering Providence, RI 02912, USA
Gregory P. Crawford
Affiliation:
Brown University, Division of Engineering Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Abstract

We introduce and explore two- and three-dimensional lattices formed in Holographic-Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (H-PDLC) materials, which exhibit an electrically controllable index modulation in multiple dimensions. As electro-optically active holograms, these materials exhibit fast dynamic switching phenomena (~100 microseconds), and are simple to fabricate. While many applications have been proposed for these materials, almost all are based on one-dimensional index modulations in various grating regimes. However, constraints in additional dimensions lead to a much greater sensitivity of the polymer morphology to monomer functionality, exposure irradiance, and grating pitch. In an effort to begin to understand this relationship, two-dimensional triangle lattices were created using two monomeric blends exposed over a range of powers. Final diffraction efficiency (Bragg regime), saturation voltage, and polymer morphology were examined from the resulting triangle lattices. Three-dimensional lattices are discussed and a six-beam holographic method is proposed. Photonic crystal applications are envisioned where the pseudo-bandgap can be electrically controlled.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 709: Symposium CC – Advances in Liquid Crystalline Materials and Technologies , 2001 , K3.6.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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References

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