We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a fast-switching nematic optical retarder capable to switch a few microns of optical retardation in less than 1 ms. For example, a nematic cell of thickness 14.5 μm switches 0.3 μm of retardation within 0.15 ms and 2.5 μm within 0.5 ms for single passage of beam. The corresponding figure of merit is two orders of magnitude higher than the one known for the best nematic materials synthesized so far. The fit is achieved by employing a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal in high-pretilt angle cells and a special addressing scheme that features amplitude and frequency modulated voltage. The scheme can be used in spatial light modulators, retarders, beam deflectors, polarization rotator, and displays.
We demonstrate that the finite rate of dielectric relaxation in liquid crystals which has been ignored previously causes profound effects in the fast dielectric reorientation of the director. We propose a theory of dielectric response in which the electric displacement depends not only on the present (as in the standard theory) but also on the past values of electric field and director. We design an experiment with a dual-frequency nematic in which the standard "instantaneous" model and our model predict effects of opposite signs; the experimental data support the latter model.
Optical metamaterials capture the imagination with breathtaking promises of nanoscale resolution in imaging and invisibility cloaking. We demonstrate an approach to construct a metamaterial in which metallic nanorods, of dimension much smaller than the wavelength of light, are suspended in a fluid and placed in a nonuniform electric field. The field controls the spatial distribution and orientation of nanorods because of the dielectrophoretic effect. The field-controlled placement of nanorods causes optical effects such as varying refractive index, optical anisotropy (birefringence), and reduced visibility of an object enclosed by the metamaterial.
We propose lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) as a distinct class of materials for organic electronics. In water, the chromonic molecules stack on top of each other into elongated aggregates that form orientationally ordered phases. The aligned aggregated structure is preserved when the material is deposited onto a substrate and dried. The dried LCLC films show a strongly anisotropic electric conductivity of semiconductor type. The field-effect carrier mobility measured along the molecular aggregates in un-optimized films of LCLC V20 is 0.03 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . Easy processibility, low cost and high mobility demonstrate the potential of LCLCs for microelectronic applications.
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