Spatially Periodic Alignment of Liquid Crystals by Patterned Photopolymerization

ORAL

Abstract

We demonstrate an electrically switchable diffraction grating based on periodically patterning the anchoring conditions of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) within a polymer matrix via a patterned photopolymerization. We used two comonomers with opposite tendency to align the NLC and different reactivity ratio, which lead to definition of the areas with alternating homeotropic and planar alignment of the NLC through a UV irradiation with a photomask. The photopolymerization-induced diffusion of the monomers accounts for the spatial concentration distribution of these monomers. The LC diffraction gratings we made are switchable under low electric fields, and also have structural stability offered by the polymer matrix.

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Authors

  • Jian Zhou

  • David Collard

  • Jung Park

  • Mohan Srinivasarao

    • Georgia Institute of Technology
    • School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
    • School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Advanced Research in Optical Microscopy (CAROM)
    • Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
    • School of Polymer, Fiber and Textile Engineering; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
    • School of Polymer, Textiles and Fiber engineering and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry,Georgia Institute of Technology
    • School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering and School of Chemistry and Biochemistry