Liquid Crystal

Photonics and
Applications

102

(Liquid Crystal Photonics and Applications)

()

(06)2757575-63918

e-mail

crlee@mail.ncku.edu.tw , office hours: Friday (14:00pm~ 17:00 pm)

Liquid Crystal Photonics and Applications is a course concerned with the understanding in
related photonic applications beyond the displays.
* Detailed fundamentals of LCs will not be introduced in the course.

Let students to realize LC photonics and related applications beyond the displays.

1. Liquid crystal
2. Liquid crystal lasers
3. Photo-Stimulated Phase Transformations of LCs andPhotocontrollable LC Actuators
4. Light-Driven Chiral Molecular Switches or Motors in LCs
5 LC Functionalized Nano- and Microfibers Produced by Electrospinning
6. Polymer Stabilized Cholesteric Liquid Crystal for Switchable Windows
7. Liquid Crystals in Matamaterials (?)
8. Liquid Crystals for Nanophotonics (?)

Liquid Crystals Beyond Displays: Chemistry, Physics, and Applications, by Quan Li

*
* ()

() 30%, () 20%, () 5%
() 30%
10%

http://moodle.ncku.edu.tw/login

Ch.1 Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystal phase (what is LCs?)
Category of LCs
Structure and physical properties of LCs
Optical property of LCs
Alignment of LCs and simple fabrication of
LC cell

Liquid crystal phase

(what is LCs?)

Phase change of
matter

Water
3D

What Is Liquid Crystals ?

Liquid crystals is a mesophase between solid crystalline and

isotropic liquid phase. This phase possesses commonly
properties of ordered crystal and flowed liquid.
In 1888, F. Reinitzer found the first LC material (Cholesteryl
benzoate), and later O.Lehmann observed its
special optical features.

The FATHER of LCs

F. Reinitzer

O. Lehmann

First Found LC Material

145 C

178.5 C

Clearing point

Clearing the LCs

Definition of Liquid crystals

(mesophases)

:
(1) Disordered Crystal Mesophases:
(Plastic Crystals)

(2) Ordered Fluid Mesophases: (Liquid

Crystals)(Rod-like)
(Disc-like)

[]


(Crystalline Solid)

(Isotropic Liquid)

(Mesophases)
Disordered Crystal
Mesophases

Ordered Fluid
Mesophases

Category of Liquid crystals

Distinguish by causes of phase transition
1) Thermotropic () exhibit a phase transition into the
LC phase as temperature is changed.
2) Lyotropic () exhibit phase transitions as a function
of both temperature and concentration of the LC molecules
in a solvent (typically water).
3) Metallotropic () are composed of both organic and
inorganic molecules; their LC transition depends not only on
temperature and concentration, but also on the inorganicorganic composition ratio.

Thermotropic LCs

Thermotropic
LCs
()

a)

1. Nematics ()
2. Cholesterics ()
3. Smectics ()

b)

1. Columnar
2. Nematic

Thermotropic LCs

Increasing temperature

Thermotropic LCs Images Observed with

Polarization Microscopy

See http://fy.chalmers.se/lc/engelska/gallery/gallery.html

Commercial LC Materials

(milky or transparent)

(colorful)

(Nematics)

(Cholesterics)

Category of Thermotropic LCs

Nematics
(a)
(b)

(director) n
(c)
(d) n n

Nematic

Nematics & POM pattern

Cholesterics (chiral nematics)

www.sigmaaldrich.com

Helical twisting power

1
HTP
Pc

For dilute solutions

chiral dopant HTP (mm)-1

S811
IS4651
-: left-twisting sense

-14
-13.6

For a 10% dopant S811

1
HTP c
1
=
= 0.71m
1
(14 m ) (0.1)

P=

Bragg reflection of cholesterics

=pn; =pn
n
n~0.5 White reflection

Blue Phase

(from Yang and Crooker, 1987)

Frustration pattern of BP I

a few K

Doubletwisted
cylinder(DTC)

H. Kikuchi, Liquid Crystalline

Blue Phases, Struct Bond 128,
99-117 (2008).

 POM

0.1
oC/min

Smectics
(a) Smectic A (SmA)

(b) Smectic C (SmC)

(Optically
Biaxial)

Smectic A

Smectic C

Smectics & POM pattern of SmA

Cholesteric LCs

Ferroelectric LCs

Pitch p

L=p/2

SmC*
N*

Structure of the chiral smectic C phase (C*)

P = direction of the spontaneous polarization

Smectic C* (SmC*)-Ferroelectric LCs

Smectic C

SmC
(chiral)chiral smectic C

Smectic C*

Structure and physical

properties of LCs

LC Building Blocks

MBBA

5CB

MBBA

5CB

Density (g cm-3)

1.088

1.0065

Melting point
()

16

24

Clearing point
()

46

35.3

Order
parameter

0.64

0.65

Diamagnetic
anisotropy,
(CGS*10-7)

0.97

1.7

Dielectric
permittivities

||= 4.7
= 5.4

||= 19.7
= 6.7

Refractive
indices

n= 1.5616
(514.5nm)
n= 1.5443
(632.8nm)
n||= 1.8062
(514.5nm)
n||= 1.7582
(632.8nm)

n= 1.5442
(514.5nm)
n= 1.5309
(632.8nm)
n||= 1.7360
(514.5nm)
n||= 1.7063
(632.8nm)

MBBA

5CB

Elastic
constants
(dyn*10-7)

K11=6
K22=4
K33=7.5

K11=6.4
K22=3
K33=10

Coefficients of
viscosity (cP)

1 = 77
2 = -80
1= 6.5
2= -77.5
3= -1
4= 83
5= 46
6= -35
1= 16.3
2= 25.2
3= 16.1

MBBAp-Methoxybenzylidene-pn-butylaniline
5CBPentylcyanobiphenyl

Nematic LCs

From TFT,

From TFT,

From TFT,

Properties of Liquid Crystals

- Chain-Structure Organic Compounds
- Long-Range Molecular Order
- Fluid Viscosities (10-200 centipoises)
- Optical Anisotropy (Birefringence)
n = nen0
- Dielectric Anisotropy = e o
- Optical Activity
- Electrical Resistivity >1013 ohm-cm (TFT)

Anisotropic Properties in LCs

Anisotropic Properties in LCs

Dielectric Anisotropy
Birefringence

()
( > 0)

()
( < 0)

Dielectric Anisotropy
++
++

positive

Eext

= || > 0

negative

++

++

Eext
= || < 0

From TFT
,

Electric Field Effects in an

Insulating Nematic
E (1kHz)

Density of Nematic Free Energy

Contributed by Electric Field
E (1kHz)

Anisotropic Dielectric
Constant LC -

1
2
D dE = - E (n E)2
4
8
8

If LC > 0 () n E
If LC < 0 () n E

LC Reorientation Controlled
with Electrical Field

OFF

LC <0

ON

Typical LC Deformation

()

(splay)(twist)(bend)

n (director)

25

------ Splay (k11) n 0

------ Twist (k22) nn 0

K ii (pN )

20
15

K33

10

------ Bend (k33) nn 0

K11

K22

0
20

40

60
TEMPERATURE (C)

80

k33 > k11 > k22

LC Elastic Model

Oseen-Frank
()

1
1
1
1
2
2
2
f = k11( n) + k22[n ( n)] + k33[n ( n)] 0(n E)2
2
2
2
2
Intrinsic
When (f)final state - (f)initial state0
then LCs reorientation

Extra (Eext)

Viscosity
cell

(Miesowicz
)

Rotational Viscosity

Optical property of LCs

Polarized Light

Controlling Polarized Light

Typical Polarized Light

y

Double image in
birefringent material

e-ray
Black
dot

e-ray

o-ray

o-ray

Wide
enough

o-ray & e-ray

o-ray & e-ray

o-ray () & e-ray

()

o-ray (-)

e-ray (-)

(~a
few m)

double images

(=2neffd/)

Important Optical property

Birefringence

Birefringence of LC
:

ITO Glasses

Inclined
plane

Ey
Ex
=2nd/=0

Ez
k

z (optical axis)

nO

Ex

(: nx=ny=no, nz=ne, ne>no)

ne

45 o

x2/no2 + y2/no2 + z2/ne2 = 1

no

neff ()=none/(no2sin2 + ne2cos2 )1/2

d ()

=2nd/0

2
(n eff n o )dl

oe

Ez (e)
45

Ex (o)

d ()

=2nd/

Ez

Ey leads Ez by:

Ex
Ex leads Ez by:

()

+
-

- +


(
)
~1015Hz

(
)
<106Hz

+
( >> )

LC cell: light valve

-45o

45o

Characteristics of LCD
h Threshold voltage

FD: free energy density associated with deformation of LC

FE: free energy density associated with applied field E

Characteristics of LCD
h Threshold voltage

Vth

Threshold voltage (splay deformation)

Vth = [K11/(0)]1/2

Characteristics of LCD
hResponse time
include processes of voltage-on and voltage-off
1. voltage-off:
off (include possible bf (due to back flow
effect))
2
2
2

=
(

)
d
/(

K11 )
d
bf
1
3
1
Splay: off

Twist:

off = d = 1d 2 /( 2 K 22 )

Bend: off = d + bf = ( 1 22 / 2 )d 2 /( 2 K 33 )
Back flow: splayband
back flow

Characteristics of LCD
2. voltage-on:
on
2
2
2
2

=
(

)
/(

K
/
d
)
1
3
1
0
11
d
bf
Splay: on

Twist:

on = d = 1 /( 0 E 2 2 K 22 / d 2 )

Bend: on = d + bf = ( 1 22 / 2 ) /( 0 E 2 2 K 33 / d 2 )

Alignment of LCs and

fabrication of LC cell

LC alignments
?

(mismatch)

Schlieren texture of nematic

phase with no alignment

LC alignments


cell

Polyimide/PVA

LC Alignment methods
(1) Rubbing Alignment

1.
alkyl chain

RSnd(2Rw+v)/v
ndwrollervroller
Rroller

2.

(2) Ion Beam Alignment

(3) Photo Alignment

Cholesteric LCs

Cholesteric LCs

right-handed CH
Reflected right circular
left-handed CH
Reflected left circular

=pn; =pn
n
n~0.5 White background

Cholesteric LCs

Cholesteric LCs

Bistable Cholesteric LCs

Planar

Focal Conic

V 40V

Black Background

V 60V
Single pulse
25ms
Quasi - Planar

Homeotropic

Proceeding of ASET 2000, p.3-8 (2000)

Ferroelectric LCs (SmC*)

Ferroelectric LCs (SmC*)

Response Time ~ s
Gray levels using spatial and temporal
Small cell gap
Difficult to align
Sensitive to shocks

Surface Stabilized
Ferroelectric LC (SSFLC)

SSFLC

Ferroelectric LCD Operation

PDLC
perpendicular

perpendicular
tangential

V off

V on

PDLC