Chirality invertible superstructure mediated active planar optics

Chen, Peng; Ma, Lingling; Hu, Wei; Shen, Zhixiong; Bisoyi, Hari Krishna; Wu, Sai-Bo; Ge, Shi‐Jun; Li, Quan; Lu, Yan‐qing

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10538-w

Cited by 126 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…A reflective Airy beam generator was obtained, and the wavelength as well as the handedness of the incident CPL, which could produce the Airy beam, could easily be modulated by light due to the synchronous changes of the helical pitch length and handedness induced by the azobenzene-based chiral molecular switch utilized in the system ( Figure 9B). [113] Figure 9. Photoresponsive chiro-optical applications.…”

Section: Application Insights Based On Chiro-optical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoprogrammable Mesogenic Soft Helical Architectures: A Promising Avenue toward Future Chiro‐Optics

Zheng

2020

Advanced Materials

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reflection, exhibits photonic localization in the band gap determined by the period in the case of normal incidence. [6] Similarly, a helical superstructure composed of chiral chromophores leads to absorption differences between left-and right-handed CPL, referred to as the Cotton effect, owing to the asymmetry of chiral chromophores or that of achiral chromophores induced by a chiral system. [7] Chiro-optical characteristics in helical supramolecular assemblies and superstructures have attracted tremendous attention in the past decade, especially in self-organized mesogenic helical soft matter, which is an emerging scientific frontier in chemistry, functional materials, soft matter physics, biological medicine, and even sensor physics. Mesogenic soft matter, defined as soft condensed matter with molecules containing single or multiple anisotropic mesogen moieties, is distinct from common soft condensed matter in terms of molecular arrangement, interaction, and specific optical chirality, although the "soft" characteristic is still maintained. A primary reason for the softness is related to the responses of this type of matter to multiple external stimuli, such as electric fields, heat, light, mechanical forces, and even acoustic fields. [8] The control and manipulation of such soft materials by light is always more desirable than that of other stimuli due to the prominent advantages of non-contact, wireless, remote, and high-resolution control, which enable numerous unprecedented chiro-optical applications. [9] Optically, another fascinating feature of these materials is their molecular self-organization behavior, which can establish an ordered and regular arrangement with a structural parameter (≈µm) much larger than the single-molecule scale (≈nm) through the weak non-covalent molecular interaction, rather than the chemical bonds that normally exist in

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Section: Application Insights Based On Chiro-optical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoprogrammable Mesogenic Soft Helical Architectures: A Promising Avenue toward Future Chiro‐Optics

Zheng

2020

Advanced Materials

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“…A multistep partly‐overlapping exposure was performed with a dynamic photopatterning system. [ 9,30 ] After spin‐coated onto the photopatterned substrate, the LCs follow the guidance of SD1 layer and form the designed configuration. The LC precursor, i.e., reactive mesogen mixture, can be further photopolymerized into a self‐standing flexible film, whose process is vividly presented in Figure 2a.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid‐Crystal‐Mediated Active Waveguides toward Programmable Integrated Optics

Wei

Chen

Tang

et al. 2020

Advanced Optical Materials

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Optics, playing an ever‐important role in life, is developing toward miniaturization and integration. Particularly, the field programming of integrated optics will benefit its functionality and durability, thus is highly pursued. Here, through precisely controlling the space‐variant orientations of anisotropic liquid crystals (LCs), various graded‐index waveguides are demonstrated in a homogeneous medium. Straight/bending waveguides and ring resonators are fabricated via LC photopatterning. They exhibit pronounced polychromatic light‐guiding performance. Thanks to their intrinsic external‐stimuli responsivity, the thermal switchability and polarization tunability are verified. By selectively polymerizing, robust functional components and active connecting waveguides can be realized on the same chip. It provides a practical and universal solution to programmable integrated optics, and extends the applications of microstructured soft matter even in wearable photonics.

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“…Liquid crystal (LC) features a broadband birefringence from visible to microwave and pronounced responsivity to external fields including thermal, optical, electromagnetical, etc. Beyond information displays, LC has also been employed in broad photonic applications, e.g., optical phased arrays, telecom components, and optical mode converters . Along with the emergence of large‐birefringence LCs and high‐transparency electrodes in THz regime, tunable filters, phase shifters, and waveplates were developed subsequently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planar Terahertz Photonics Mediated by Liquid Crystal Polymers

Shen

Tang

Chen

et al. 2020

Advanced Optical Materials

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Terahertz (THz) band is expected to satisfy the ever‐increasing demand for high‐capacity wireless data transfer. Multifunctional photonic devices with compactness and low loss are highly pursued for future THz communications. Here, a strategy for planar THz photonics is proposed that enables free wavefront manipulation with submillimeter thin liquid crystal polymer (LCP) films. Such elements work on the spatial geometric phase modulation, which is accomplished by preprogramming the axis orientations of LCP. The LCP monomers follow the guidance of local photoalignment agent and are further polymerized under UV exposure at the existence of a doped photo‐initializer. Thanks to the high resolution and excellent flexibility of the photopatterning technique, THz elements with versatile functions can be realized. As examples, waveplates, polarization gratings, and lenses, which are suitable for the polarization control, beam deflecting, focusing, or collimating, are demonstrated. Due to the intrinsic flexibility of LCP films, an f‐tunable lens enabled by mechanically induced deformation is exhibited. Specific mode generators for vortices and Bessel beams are also presented, which can function as separate channels for the mode division multiplexing in THz communications. This work provides a robust platform for fabricating integrated, low‐loss, and tunable THz elements suitable for the advanced THz apparatuses.

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Chirality invertible superstructure mediated active planar optics

Cited by 126 publications

References 42 publications

Photoprogrammable Mesogenic Soft Helical Architectures: A Promising Avenue toward Future Chiro‐Optics

Photoprogrammable Mesogenic Soft Helical Architectures: A Promising Avenue toward Future Chiro‐Optics

Liquid‐Crystal‐Mediated Active Waveguides toward Programmable Integrated Optics

Planar Terahertz Photonics Mediated by Liquid Crystal Polymers

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