Polarization‐independent blue‐phase liquid‐crystal gratings driven by vertical electric field

Zhu, Ge; Li, Jianan; Lin, Xiao-wen; Wang, Haifeng; Hu, Wei; Zheng, Zhigang; Cui, Hongqing; Shen, Dong; Lu, Yanqing

doi:10.1889/jsid20.6.341

Cited by 49 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…For a nematic LC-based phase grating, its operation voltage is usually lower than 15 V, depending on the dielectric anisotropy (Δ ε ) of the employed LC mixture67, however, slow response time (typically > 10 ms)89 is a major concern. To achieve sub-millisecond response time and 2π phase change, polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC)101112 and polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC)13 have been developed. However, these transmission-type phase gratings suffer from high operation voltage and noticeable hysteresis.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Low Voltage Liquid Crystal Phase Grating with Switchable Diffraction Angles

Chen

Tan

Huang

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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We demonstrate a simple yet high performance phase grating with switchable diffraction angles using a fringe field switching (FFS) liquid crystal (LC) cell. The LC rubbing angle is parallel to the FFS electrodes (i.e. α = 0°), leading to symmetric LC director distribution in a voltage-on state. Such a grating exhibits three unique features: 1) Two grating periods can be formed by controlling the applied voltage, resulting in switchable diffraction angles. In our design, the 1st diffraction order occurs at 4.3°, while the 2nd order appears at 8.6°. 2) The required voltage to achieve peak diffraction efficiency (η~32%) for the 1st order is only 4.4 V at λ = 633 nm as compared to 70 V for a conventional FFS-based phase grating in which α ≈ 7°, while the 2nd order (η~27%) is 15 V. 3). The measured rise and decay time for the 1st order is 7.62 ms and 6.75 ms, and for the 2nd order is 0.75 ms and 3.87 ms, respectively. To understand the physical mechanisms, we also perform device simulations. Good agreement between experiment and simulation is obtained.

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confidence: 99%

A Low Voltage Liquid Crystal Phase Grating with Switchable Diffraction Angles

Chen

Tan

Huang

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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“…When used in the 1D mode, 37% efficiency is achieved while up to 90% efficiency is reported for 2D patterns. [290] A few years later, fork-like electrodes were patterned on one of the substrates (while the other was coated with ITO) to induce fork phase profile. A similar study was focused on the Figure 23.…”

Section: Blue Phase Lc Gratingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic Control of Light Direction Enabled by Stimuli‐Responsive Liquid Crystal Gratings

et al. 2018

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the duality consolidation, the idea of controlling light and how it interacts with matter has always been an exciting topic. Visible light, as we perceive it, is a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum composed of mutually perpendicular oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space and presents wave-like and particle-like behavior. Since the elements comprising matter possess dynamic electron clouds, the electromagnetic nature of light prompts different responses when it interacts with different materials, depending on its intensity, frequency, the arrangement of molecules, and so on. Whenever light interacts with matter, it might be absorbed, re-emitted, scattered, or transmitted. Although these effects are well known, the combination of them with new, innovative materials pushes optics forward. In fact, advances in optics have often occurred through the development of materials with improved optical properties, thus creating remarkable applications that tremendously influence our daily lives. These exciting applications include image processing and recording, lasing, data storage, display devices, detector systems, propulsion systems, and optical tweezers, which have enabled remote micromanipulation of colloidal particles and promising applications in various biomedical and biological applications. [1][2][3] There is, however, one component that stands out: the diffraction grating. It is generally regarded as one of the most important devices in the development of several fields of science. [4] Such importance comes from the fact that a diffraction grating is a device with a periodic structure capable of changing the propagation and splitting the spectrum The ability to control light direction with tailored precision via facile means is long-desired in science and industry. With the advances in optics, a periodic structure called diffraction grating gains prominence and renders a more flexible control over light propagation when compared to prisms. Today, diffraction gratings are common components in wavelength division multiplexing devices, monochromators, lasers, spectrometers, media storage, beam steering, and many other applications. Next-generation optical devices, however, demand nonmechanical, full and remote control, besides generating higher than 1D diffraction patterns with as few optical elements as possible. Liquid crystals (LCs) are great candidates for light control since they can form various patterns under different stimuli, including periodic structures capable of behaving as diffraction gratings. The characteristics of such gratings depend on several physical properties of the LCs such as film thickness, periodicity, and molecular orientation, all resulting from the internal constraints of the sample, and all of these are easily controllable. In this review, the authors summarize the research and development on stimuli-controllable diffraction gratings and beam steering using LCs as the active optical materials. Dynamic gratings fabricated by applying external f...

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“…The blue phase liquid crystal and ferroelectric liquid crystals' diffraction phenomenon has been studied. Zhu et al . have reported a blue phase liquid crystal grating that behaved the response time of 860 µs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of the bend oriented liquid crystal phase grating

Zhang

Jiahe

et al. 2015

J Soc Info Display

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A bend oriented liquid crystal phase grating is presented in this paper. The diffraction efficiency and the response time are studied and compared with the same parameters parallel oriented liquid crystal phase grating. The result shows that the bend oriented liquid crystal phase grating behaves a higher diffraction efficiency than the comparative parallel oriented ones and 20 times shorter in response time.

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Polarization‐independent blue‐phase liquid‐crystal gratings driven by vertical electric field

Cited by 49 publications

References 34 publications

A Low Voltage Liquid Crystal Phase Grating with Switchable Diffraction Angles

A Low Voltage Liquid Crystal Phase Grating with Switchable Diffraction Angles

Dynamic Control of Light Direction Enabled by Stimuli‐Responsive Liquid Crystal Gratings

Study of the bend oriented liquid crystal phase grating

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