Stretchable liquid crystal blue phase gels

Abstract

Liquid crystalline polymers are materials of considerable scientific interest and technological value to society [1-3]. An important subset of such materials exhibit rubber-like elasticity; these can combine the remarkable optical properties of liquid crystals with the favourable mechanical properties of rubber and, further, exhibit behaviour not seen in either type of material independently [2]. Many of their properties depend crucially on the particular mesophase employed. Stretchable liquid crystalline polymers have previously been demonstrated in the nematic, chiral nematic, and smectic mesophases [2,4]. Here were report the fabrication of a stretchable gel of blue phase I, which forms a self-assembled, three-dimensional photonic crystal that may have its optical properties manipulated by an applied strain and, further, remains electro-optically switchable under a moderate applied voltage. We find that, unlike its undistorted counterpart, a mechanically deformed blue phase exhibits a Pockels electro-optic effect, which sets out new theoretical challenges and new possibilities for low-voltage electro-optic devices.

15 pages, 6 figures, additional data and discussion included. Supplementary videos available from F. Castles on request

References in corpus (3)

• Blue-phase templated fabrication of three-dimensional nanostructures for photonic applications
• Flexoelectric blue phases
• Flexoelectric switching in cholesteric blue phases

Cited by in corpus (5)

• A ferroelectric liquid crystal confined in cylindrical nanopores: Reversible smectic layer buckling, enhanced light rotation and extremely fast electro-optically active Goldstone excitations
• A model for the Pockels effect in distorted liquid crystal blue phases
• Retention and Deformation of the Blue Phases in Liquid Crystalline Elastomers
• Linear electro-optic effects due to high order spatial dispersion
• Reconfiguring colours of single relief structures by directional stretching