Thermodielectric effect in dual-frequency cholesteric liquid crystals

Yu Cheng Hsiao, Wei Lee

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Thermodielectric effect in dual-frequency cholesteric liquid crystals (DFCLCs) is an important issue and has rarely been studied in the past. DFCLC materials have many applications such as fast-switching CLCs, light modulators, and tunable photonic devices. However, DFCLCs characteristically need high operation voltage, which hinders their further development in thin-film-transistor operation. Here we present a lower-voltage switching method based on thermodielectric effect. Dielectric heating effect entails applying an electromagnetic wave to occasion dielectric oscillation heating so to induce the increase in crossover frequency. The subsequent change in dielectric anisotropy of the DFCLC permits the switching, with a lower voltage, from the planar state to the focal conic or homeotropic state. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the local deformation of the CLC helical structure achieved by means of the thermodielectric effect. The wavelength of the deformation-induced defect mode can be tuned upon varying the dielectric heating power. The physics and the calculation of dielectric heating in DFCLCs are described.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLiquid Crystals XIX
EditorsIam Choon Khoo
PublisherSPIE
Volume9565
ISBN (Electronic)9781628417319
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 1 2015
Externally publishedYes
EventLiquid Crystals XIX - San Diego, United States
Duration: Aug 9 2015Aug 10 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9565
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceLiquid Crystals XIX
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period8/9/158/10/15

Keywords

  • cholesteric liquid crystals
  • dielectric heating effect
  • dual-frequency liquid crystal
  • optical stability
  • photonic devices

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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