Submillisecond-Response Polymer Network Liquid Crystal Phase Modulators

Yannanqi Li; Zhiyong Yang; Ran Chen; Lingchao Mo; Juanli Li; Minggang Hu; Shin-Tson Wu

doi:10.3390/polym12122862

Polymers (Nov 2020)

Submillisecond-Response Polymer Network Liquid Crystal Phase Modulators

Yannanqi Li,
Zhiyong Yang,
Ran Chen,
Lingchao Mo,
Juanli Li,
Minggang Hu,
Shin-Tson Wu

Affiliations

Yannanqi Li: College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
Zhiyong Yang: College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
Ran Chen: Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710065, China
Lingchao Mo: Optical and Electrical Material Center, Xi’an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Juanli Li: Optical and Electrical Material Center, Xi’an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Minggang Hu: Optical and Electrical Material Center, Xi’an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China
Shin-Tson Wu: College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122862
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 12
p. 2862

Abstract

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A submillisecond-response and light scattering-free polymer-network liquid crystal (PNLC) for infrared spatial light modulators is demonstrated. Our new liquid crystal host exhibits a higher birefringence, comparable dielectric anisotropy, and slightly lower visco-elastic constant than a commonly employed commercial material, HTG-135200. Moreover, the electro-optical performance of our PNLCs with different monomer concentrations, cell gaps, and liquid crystal (LC) hosts is compared and discussed from four aspects: operating voltage, hysteresis, relaxation time, and light scattering loss. The temperature effect on hysteresis is also analyzed. Potential applications of PNLCs for laser beam steering and spatial light modulators especially in the infrared region are foreseeable.

Published in Polymers

ISSN: 2073-4360 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers/

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