Open AccessControlling liquid crystal pretilt angle with photocurable prepolymer and vertically aligned substrate
Author(s) -
Che Ju Hsu,
Baolong Chen,
Chi Yen Huang
Publication year - 2016
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.24.001463
Subject(s) - prepolymer , materials science , liquid crystal , substrate (aquarium) , polymerization , polymer , composite material , optics , phase (matter) , optoelectronics , chemistry , oceanography , physics , organic chemistry , polyurethane , geology
We demonstrate a new approach to control the pretilt angle of liquid crystals (LCs) with photocurable prepolymer in a cell fabricated with vertically aligned substrates. During UV exposure, prepolymer approaches and is polymerized on the substrate surfaces because of the vertical phase separation induced by differences in the surface tensions of the employed materials. After polymerization, the polymer structure formed on the substrate alters its surface polarity and changes the pretilt angle of the LC cell. The LC pretilt angle can be controlled from 87.3° to 2.5° when the prepolymer concentration ranges from 0 wt% to 2.5 wt%.