Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
Switchable orthorhombic F photonic crystals formed by holographic polymerization-induced phase separation of liquid
Abstract:
Electrically switchable photonic crystals are simply and rapidly formed by holographic polymerization-induced phase separation of liquid crystal from a monomer-liquid crystal mixture. We report the fabrication and electro-optical properties of liquid-crystal-filled polymer photonic crystals of orthorhombic F symmetry. Inverse opal and fcc structures can also be obtained. The crystals exhibit electrically switchable Bragg diffraction at ~8-10 V/microm with crystal structure in good agreement with theoretical expectations. These photonic crystals compare favorably with liquid-crystal-imbibed colloidal crystal arrays.

