Phase change of a plane wave propagating through polymer dispersed liquid crystal film with nanosized droplets

The coherent field propagation in a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer is described using a method based on the Foldy-Twersky integral equation for the vector case. Expressions for a polarization-independent phase shift and the coherent transmission coefficient of such a layer containing nanodimensional nematic liquid crystal droplets are obtained. Theoretical results for the phase shift are compared to the available experimental data.     

Random lasing in dye-doped polymer dispersed liquid crystal film

A dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film was designed and fabricated,and random lasing action was studied.A mixture of laser dye,nematic liquid crystal,chiral dopant,and PVA was used to prepare the dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film by means of microcapsules.Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that most liquid crystal droplets in the polymer matrix ranged from 30 μm to 40 μm,the size of the liquid crystal droplets was small.Under frequency doubled 532 nm Nd:YAG laser-pumped optical excitation,a plurality of discrete and sharp random laser radiation peaks could be measured in the range of 575–590 nm.The line-width of the lasing peak was 0.2 nm and the threshold of the random lasing was 9 m J.Under heating,the emission peaks of random lasing disappeared.By detecting the emission light spot energy distribution,the mechanism of radiation was found to be random lasing.The random lasing radiation mechanism was then analyzed and discussed.Experimental results indicated that the size of the liquid crystal droplets is the decisive factor that influences the lasing mechanism.The surface anchor role can be ignored when the size of the liquid crystal droplets in the polymer matrix is small,which is beneficial to form multiple scattering.The transmission path of photons is similar to that in a ring cavity,providing feedback to obtain random lasing output.     

Polarization of light transmitted through a polymer film with nanosized droplets of liquid crystal

A method is developed for analyzing the state of polarization of a plane wave transmitted through a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) film with nanosized liquid-crystal (LC) droplets. This method is based on the anisotropic-dipole approximation for describing scattering by a separate droplet and on the Foldy-Twersky approximation for describing propagation of light in a film. Equations are obtained that relate the ellipsometric parameters of coherent (direct) light transmitted through a PDLC film to the order parameters that characterize the morphological and structural properties of the film. Elliptic and circular polarizations and the rotation of the plane of polarization of a wave transmitted through a film are investigated under the normal illumination of the PDLC film by a linearly polarized plane wave. The order parameters of the PDLC film are determined as a function of a control field under the transition from a partially ordered structure of optical axes of LC droplets to a homeotropic structure.     

Strain-induced matrix and droplets anisotropic deformation in liquid crystalline cellulose dispersed liquid crystal films

The present work deals with the preparation of new liquid crystalline cellulose dispersed liquid crystal films (100 μm) using a shearing casting technique. The matrix of the films presents the so-called band texture perpendicular to the shear direction. The nematic low molecular weight liquid crystal is encapsulated in micron and submicron size ellipsoids. The ratio between the lengths of the main axis and the short axis is around 1.23. The main axis is oriented, on average, 28° away from the shear direction. The evolution of the band texture and of the ellipsoidal liquid crystal droplets is investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and light scattering techniques as a function of the strain imposed along and perpendicular to the shear direction. Stretch along shear with strain equal to 0.8 seems to have no effect on the banded structure of the matrix, while the nematic liquid crystal ellipsoids slightly orient the main axis to the stress direction and their shape anisotropy increases by a factor of 2. Deformation in the direction transverse to the shear direction induces a deep change of the polymeric matrix and, at the end, a fibrillar structure is found. The nematic ellipsoids rotate their main axis and align along the stretch direction. Their shape anisotropy evolves from a value of 1.23 to 1 for intermediate deformations with strain equal to 0.5, to a final value of 5 with strain equal to 0.8, in the perpendicular direction.     

Optical properties and optimized conditions for polymer dispersed liquid crystal containing UV curable polymer and nematic liquid crystal

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal was synthesized by combining a UV curable polymer and a nematic liquid crystal. Optimized conditions for the optical properties of the PDLC were found to be the concentration ratio of LC and polymer at 7:3, UV curing time of 18 min, and the thickness less than 25 μm. In the case of the high LC concentration (≥70%) sample, the amount of liquid crystal segregated in the polymerization process was enough to form a spherical shape of droplet, and the threshold driving voltage was reduced. The response time for the turn-on process was nearly independent of the concentration, while the turn-off process was almost proportional to the concentration. From microscopic image and UV–visible spectrum analysis, the relation between LC droplet morphology and optical properties were explained.     

全息聚合物弥散液晶器件电光特性的研究

研究了全息聚合物弥散液晶(HPDLC)器件的电光特性，研究了添加不同表面活性剂对聚合物界面对液晶的锚定能的影响机理，寻求到了低工作电压的实现方法. 分析了聚合物基体与液晶折射率不匹配性对器件对比度的影响，测量了HPDLC器件的响应时间和弛豫时间，得到了平均100μs的快速响应. 关键词： 全息聚合物弥散液晶 电光特性 表面活性剂 对比度 响应时间     

剪切聚合物分散液晶散射偏光特性

介绍了拉伸聚合物分散液晶和散射偏光片概念,实验制备了剪切聚合物分散液晶样品,给出了对聚合物分散液晶样品施加剪切应力的偏光特性光谱分析.实验结果表明,吸收偏光片前置和后置样品的散射偏光效果相同,样品在绿光550nm波长处最大透光率T//～60%,最小透光率T┴～10%,偏振度P～70%.实验结果对于其他散射偏光片具有普遍...     

Low-frequency proton NMR relaxometry of a polymer dispersed liquid crystal above TNI

Using proton NMR relaxometry in the kilohertz frequency range, we study dynamics of 5CB liquid crystal molecules dispersed in the form of spherical microdroplets in a PDLC material. The focus of the study is the spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame, T1rho(-1), measured above the nematic-isotropic transition TNI. We show that the relaxation rate T1rho(-1)--when induced by uniform molecular translational diffusion in a spherical cavity--depends on the strength of the rotating magnetic field as T1rho(-1) proportional to omega1(-alpha) where alpha varies between 0.7 and 1, depending on the thickness of the ordered surface layer. This relaxation mechanism governs mainly the transverse spin relaxation, whereas the measurements of the frequency and temperature dependence of T1rho(-1) indicate a strong effect of slowing-down of molecular translational diffusion in contact with the polymer surface and yield the average dwell-time of molecules at the surface of the order 10(-5) s.     

全息聚合物弥散液晶材料衍射特性的优化

研究了影响全息聚合物弥散液晶(HPDLC)衍射效率的主要因素，分析了衍射效率与聚合物单体的选择、曝光强度、曝光时间、液晶含量及温度的依赖关系，从而找到最佳条件，使衍射特性得到优化.目前测得的最大衍射效率为802%.实验中还研究了扫描电镜(SEM)观察下HPDLC的表面形貌.     

Morphological and electro-optical responses of dichroic polymer dispersed liquid crystal films

Dichroic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (DPDLC) films containing different concentration of dichroic dye have been prepared by polymerization induced phase separation technique using nematic liquid crystal material in UV curable polymer NOA 65 and anthraquinone dichroic dye. The effects of applied voltage and temperature on the LC droplet morphology and its optical characteristics were studied in detail. Liquid crystal droplets containing low concentration of dye (0.25%) in polymer matrix exhibit bipolar configuration at lower applied voltage (10 V) whereas at relatively higher voltage (15 V) maltese type liquid crystal droplets were seen. In addition, low concentration DPDLC film shows better optical transmission and higher contrast ratio.     

电控聚合物分散液晶全息透镜及特性研究

报道位相型电控聚合物分散液晶(H-PDLC)全息衍射透镜的研制及特性研究,理论上,根据耦合波理论,研究了不同的相分离程度系数下,理想位相型电控聚合物分散液晶(H-PDLC)全息衍射透镜在可见光波长(400—800nm)的衍射特性.实验研制了衍射效率最高为70%的电控H-PDLC变焦透镜样品,研究表明H-PDLC透镜具有优良的成像特性,和快速响应的电控开关特性,在光学成像系统,光通信系统中具有良好的应用前景.     

Effect of polymer viscosity on morphological and electro-optic properties of aligned polymer dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal composite films

A room temperature ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture was dispersed in UV curable polymers of different viscosity in 30:70 wt/wt ratio. These polymer dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (PDFLC) composite films were prepared by polymerization induced phase separation technique. It was found that the polymer viscosity influences the droplet size and the electro-optic properties. The spontaneous polarization of PDFLC decreases with an increase in polymer viscosity. The droplet morphology and electro-optic properties of these materials have been investigated in an aligned configuration.     

Tunable face-centered-cubic photonic crystal formed in holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals

We report on the fabrication and electro-optic measurements of face-centered-cubic (fcc) lattices in holographic polymer dispersed liquid-crystal materials. Four linearly polarized coherent plane waves were interfered to generate a fcc optical lattice that was subsequently and indefinitely recorded as an arrayed pattern of nanometer-sized liquid-crystal droplets (approximately 50 nm) at lattice nodes within a polymer matrix. Observed transmission spectra and Kossel diffraction curves are consistent with fcc crystal structure. A completely reversible 2% wavelength shift of the (+/- 111) stop band was observed on application of an electric field.     

Frequency-dependent deformation of liquid crystal droplets in an external electric field

Nematic droplets suspended in the isotropic phase of the same substance were subjected to alternating electrical fields of varying frequency. To keep the system at a constant nematic/isotropic volume ratio with constant droplet size, we carefully kept the temperature in the isotropic/nematic coexistence region, which was broadened by adding small amounts of a non-mesogenic liquid. Whereas the nematic droplets remained spherical at low (in the order of 10 Hz) and high frequencies (in the order of 1 kHz), at intermediate frequencies we observed a marked flattening of the droplets in the plane perpendicular to the applied field. Droplet deformation occurred both in liquid crystals (LCs) with positive and negative dielectric anisotropy. The experimental data can be quantitatively modelled with a combination of the leaky dielectric model and screening of the applied electric field due to finite conductivity.     

Electro-optical properties of polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid 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.     

基于丙烯酸酯的全息聚合物分散液晶光栅的动力学理论研究

采用一维无限长模型分析法对全息聚合物分散液晶(HPDLC)做了动力学方面的研究，给出了相关的扩散动力学方程和聚合动力学方程,并与折射率调制度Δn相结合获得了光栅衍射效率的表达式，对HPDLC光栅性能的改善提供了理论上的指导.     

基于低散射和高增益全息液晶/聚合物光栅的分布反馈式激光器

利用低官能度的丙烯酸酯单体进行全息液晶/聚合物光栅的制备, 获得了具有聚合物支撑形貌的光栅结构. 由于这种光栅内部不存在液晶微滴, 当作为分布反馈式激光器的谐振腔时, 可以有效降低光栅内部的散射损失(<4%), 降低激光腔损耗. 此外, 选用的高折射率单体提升了光栅的折射率调制量, 增强了光栅的反馈增益. 在以上两种因素的共同作用下, 采用染料DCM为激光工作物质, 以532 nm的Nd:YAG脉冲激光器作为抽运光源, 最终获得了中心波长为635 nm, 转化效率为1.2%的高性能激光, 在以阈值能量0.8 μJ/pulse抽运下获得激光线宽0.3 nm, 较之国内外同类激光器的报道, 在阈值、线宽、转化效率三方面均有不同程度提升.     

表面垂直取向对HPDLC光栅特性的影响

为了提高聚合物/液晶（HPDLC）光栅的衍射效率并改善光栅的表面形貌,研究了表面垂直取向处理对HPDLC光栅的影响。首先,研究了表面垂直处理对液晶分子的取向作用,发现垂直取向层对液晶的锚定作用随着盒厚的增加而逐渐减弱,取向层的作用范围大概在3 m ~5 m之间;其次,对相分离程度进行了实验表征,结果表明,随着液晶盒厚度的增加,相分离开始的时间越来越快,并且分离程度也越来越彻底。最后,讨论了表面垂直取向对HPDLC光栅衍射效率的影响,随着盒厚的增加,相分离出来的液晶微滴形成连续的区域,光栅的衍射效率逐渐升高,当盒厚增加到一定程度,其衍射效率和无取向处理的光栅接近。当盒厚过大时,垂直取向处理对HPDLC光栅散射损失并没有太大的改善,只有当盒厚适中（12 m）时,光栅的衍射效率最高,散射损失最小。     

Holographic storage of three-dimensional image and data using photopolymer and polymer dispersed liquid crystal films

We present holographic storage of three-dimensional(3D) images and data in a photopolymer film without any applied electric field.Its absorption and diffraction efficiency are measured,and reflective analog hologram of real object and image of digital information are recorded in the films.The photopolymer is compared with polymer dispersed liquid crystals as holographic materials.Besides holographic diffraction efficiency of the former is little lower than that of the latter,this work demonstrates that the photopolymer is more suitable for analog hologram and big data permanent storage because of its high definition and no need of high voltage electric field.Therefore,our study proposes a potential holographic storage material to apply in large size static 3D holographic displays,including analog hologram displays,digital hologram prints,and holographic disks.