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Published on: September 20, 2017
Durable micropatterns obtained from dissipative structures in liquid crystals
N Mießen1, J Strauß, A Hoischen
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany.
Summary
Researchers have developed a method to create permanent optical diffraction gratings using liquid crystals. These structures are formed by "freezing" dynamic patterns within the liquid crystal film using UV light and a crosslinking agent.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Liquid crystals exhibit dynamic dissipative structures influenced by external AC electric fields.
- Controlling and preserving these transient structures is challenging but offers potential for novel optical elements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for permanently preserving complex optical structures formed in liquid crystalline films.
- To investigate the formation and stabilization of diffraction gratings and other optical phase objects from liquid crystals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized electrically conductive liquid crystals capable of forming diverse dissipative structures under varying AC field conditions.
- Incorporated a crosslinking agent into the liquid crystal film.
- Applied UV irradiation to permanently 'freeze' the desired liquid crystal structures.
Main Results:
- Successfully formed and preserved diffraction gratings and more complex optical phase objects from crosslinked liquid crystalline films.
- Demonstrated that the specific structures formed are dependent on the applied AC field's strength and frequency.
Conclusions:
- Crosslinking and UV curing provide an effective method to stabilize dynamic liquid crystal structures into permanent optical elements.
- This technique enables the creation of custom diffraction gratings and optical phase objects with potential applications in optics and photonics.
