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Investigation of the electrothermo‐optical effect of a smectic LCP–nematic LC–chiral dopant ternary composite system based on S A ↔ N* phase transition
Author(s) -
Yang Huai,
Yamane Hirokaku,
Kikuchi Hirotsugu,
Yamane Hirokazu,
Zhang Guo,
Chen Xinfang,
Tisato Kajiyama
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19990801)73:5<623::aid-app2>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - liquid crystal , homeotropic alignment , dopant , materials science , phase (matter) , phase transition , texture (cosmology) , scattering , condensed matter physics , composite number , ternary operation , transmittance , optics , light scattering , composite material , doping , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , computer science , programming language , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
A sharp change in transmittance from a transparent state to a light scattering one within a tiny temperature range is induced accompanied with the heat‐induced phase transition from a smectic‐ A ( S A ) phase to a chiral nematic ( N *) one in a side‐chain smectic‐ A liquid crystalline polymer ( S A LCP)–low‐molecular‐weight nematic liquid crystal (NLC)–chiral dopant ternary composite system with a homeotropic boundary condition. By adjusting the polymer ratio, an induced N * phase exhibiting strong light scattering over a wide temperature region has been obtained. The resulting scattering texture retained in the S A phase due to fast cooling from the N * phase can be rather stable and can be easily erased by cooling slowly from the N * phase to the S A phase after the scattering texture being heated into the N * phase again or by application of an alternating current electric field on the scattering texture directly. Based on these characteristics, it is very possible that this composite system will be used as a novel thermal addressed liquid crystal display material with respect to a fast response, a high contrast, and a durable memory effect. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 623–631, 1999