Accession Number:
ADA409045
Title:
Polymer-Stabilized Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Diffraction Gratings for Optical Switching and Sensor Applications
Descriptive Note:
Final rept. Jul 1999-Dec 2002
Corporate Author:
KENT STATE UNIV OH
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
2002-12-23
Pagination or Media Count:
9.0
Abstract:
Low concentration polymer networks are used to stabilize various pattern-forming states of cholesteric liquid crystals. The resulting optical diffraction gratings operate with 70 efficiency in transmission Raman-Nath mode and are electrically switchable between diffracting and non-diffracting states for low applied voltages 3 - 30 V. A remarkable templating of spatio-orientational order, intrinsic to the liquid crystal pattern formation, is expressed in the polymer network. Based on preliminary results on a dopable polyacetylene, the liquid crystal-based templating effect holds promise as a low cost, simple processing approach to the assembly of micron and submicron, orientationally-ordered arrays of functional polymers.
Descriptors:
Subject Categories:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Optics