Open AccessDirect optical switching of bistable cholesteric textures in chiral azobenzene-doped liquid crystals
Author(s) -
Andy Ying–Guey Fuh,
Zong Han Wu,
Kuo-Hsing Cheng,
ChengKai Liu,
Yuan Di Chen
Publication year - 2013
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.21.021840
Subject(s) - azobenzene , liquid crystal , materials science , bistability , dopant , optics , homeotropic alignment , planar , doping , optical bistability , optoelectronics , texture (cosmology) , polymer , nonlinear optics , physics , laser , computer graphics (images) , image (mathematics) , artificial intelligence , computer science , composite material
The direct optical switching of bistable cholesteric textures (i.e., planar and focal conic textures) in chiral azobenzene-doped liquid crystals (LCs) is demonstrated. Chiral azobenzene is a chiral dopant with optically tuned helical twisting power that results from the photo-isomerization between trans- and cis- isomers via exposure to UV or visible light. The pitch length of the material can be optically and repeatedly elongated and shortened. With regard to free energy, LCs tend to be stable at planar (focal conic) textures when pitch length is elongated (shortened) by exposure to UV (visible) light. Thus, direct optical switchable LC displays are investigated.