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Updated: Oct 18, 2026

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Realignment of ferroelectric nematic by photoinduced electric field
Sathyanarayana Paladugu1, Oleksandr Kurochkin2,3, Ruslan Kravchuk2,3
1Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Abstract:
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) use thin pixels of a paraelectric nematic, confined between two glass plates with transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. A voltage applied to the electrodes realigns the molecules, changing optical appearance of the pixel. Here, we demonstrate that a similar molecular realignment can be triggered by a low-power light irradiation when the paraelectric nematic in the cell with ITO electrodes is replaced with a ferroelectric nematic (NF). Irradiation creates an intrinsic electric field that is strong enough to realign the NF but too weak to affect the paraelectric nematic. The extraordinary sensitivity of the ITO/NF pair to light irradiation creates a platform for optical control of ferroelectric polarization and applications in photonics, sensing, smart windows, and beyond.
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