Open AccessPolarizer-free, electrically switchable and optically rewritable displays based on dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystals
Author(s) -
Andy Ying–Guey Fuh,
Che Chang Chen,
ChengKai Liu,
Kuo-Hsing Cheng
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.007088
Subject(s) - polarizer , materials science , liquid crystal , optics , polymer , doping , optoelectronics , birefringence , physics , composite material
This work demonstrates the feasibility of a polarizer-free, electrically switchable and optically rewritable display based on dye-doped polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (DD-PDLCs). Experimental results indicate that the doped dyes are homeotropically adsorbed onto the polymer film when an appropriate AC voltage is applied during patterning. The adsorbed dyes in the illuminated region then align the liquid crystals homeotropically, and produce a transparent pattern in the scattering background without any polarizer. Notably, the adsorbed dyes can be erased and readsorbed using thermal and optical treatments, respectively. The switching time of the fabricated display is of the order of milliseconds, and the contrast ratio is approximately 30.