Abstract
Replicating natural phenomena using soft material actuators is a major challenge for material scientists. For example, a metronome is a device that produces an audible beat at a selected interval. In anisotropic soft materials, a flexoelectrically-driven cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) can display a metronome-like swinging effect when an applied electric field is normal to the helices of a CLC that are aligned normal to the substrates. The amplitude and direction of swing of a flexoelectrically-driven CLC is electrically programmable. Combining a bimesogen and a CLC with an optimized helical pitch, the mixture enables a large flexoelastic ratio (e/K = 2.758 CN-1 m-1) and swinging amplitude of 53°. Furthermore, assisted by polymer stabilization the composite mixture offers many benefits of electro-optical characteristics including fast response time (425 μs) and high optical contrast (500:1) between the field-on and field-off states as well as wavelength-independent transmittance. The advances in the flexoelectro-optical behavior of cholesteric metronomes open new avenues for applications in information displays, sensors and photonic devices.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1800013 |
Journal | Advanced Optical Materials |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 12 |
Early online date | 10 Apr 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 19 Jun 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Ohio Development Services Agency. Grant Number: TECG 2015‐0128Keywords
- Bimesogen
- Cholesteric liquid crystals
- Electro-optic response
- Flexoelectricity
- Liquid crystal displays