Achieving controllable and reversible snap-through in pre-strained strips of liquid crystalline elastomers

Deformable, elastic materials that buckle in response to external stimuli can display "snap-through", which involves a transition between different, stable buckled states. Snap-through produces a quick release of stored potential energy, and thus can provide fast actuation for soft robots and other flexible devices. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) exposed to light undergo a phase transition and a concomitant mechanical deformation, allowing control of snap-through for rapid, large amplitude actuation. Using both a semi-analytical model and finite element simulations, we focus on a thin LCE strip that is clamped at both ends and buckles due to an initially imposed strain. We show that when this clamped, strained sample is exposed to light, it produces controllable snap-through behavior, which can be regulated by varying the light intensity and the area of the sample targeted by light. In particular, this snap-through can be triggered in different directions, allowing the system to be reset and triggered multiple times. Removing the light source will cause the system to settle into one of two stable states, enabling the encoding and storage of information in the system. We also highlight a specific case where removing the light source removes the induced buckling and returns the material to an initially flat state. In this case, the system can be reset and form a new shape, allowing it to function as a rewriteable haptic interface.