We demonstrate a method to directly measure the electric-field-induced birefringence of a polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal (PS-BPLC) composite. The induced birefringence follows the extended Kerr effect well and is approximately 3X the ordinary refractive index change. The measured data are validated by comparing the simulated and measured voltage-dependent transmittance with an in-plane switching cell. The impact of these results to the material optimization of emerging BPLC displays is discussed.

© 2010 OSA

1. H. Kikuchi, M. Yokota, Y. Hisakado, H. Yang, and T. Kajiyama, “Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal blue phases,” Nat. Mater. 1(1), 64–68 (2002). [CrossRef]
2. S. W. Choi, S. I. Yamamoto, Y. Haseba, H. Higuchi, and H. Kikuchi, “Optically isotropic-nanostructured liquid crystal composite with high Kerr constant,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(4), 043119 (2008). [CrossRef]
3. Z. Ge, S. Gauza, M. Jiao, H. Xianyu, and S. T. Wu, “Electro-optics of polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal displays,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 94(10), 101104 (2009). [CrossRef]
4. Z. Ge, L. Rao, S. Gauza, and S. T. Wu, “Modeling of blue phase liquid crystal displays,” J. Display Technol. 5(7), 250–256 (2009). [CrossRef]
5. L. Rao, Z. Ge, S. T. Wu, and S. H. Lee, “Low voltage blue-phase liquid crystal displays,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(23), 231101 (2009). [CrossRef]
6. M. Jiao, Y. Li, and S. T. Wu, “Low voltage and high transmittance blue-phase liquid crystal displays with corrugated electrodes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96(1), 011102 (2010). [CrossRef]
7. K. M. Chen, S. Gauza, H. Xianyu, and S. T. Wu, “Submillisecond gray-level response time of a polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal,” J. Display Technol. 6(2), 49–51 (2010). [CrossRef]
8. S. Meiboom, J. P. Sethna, W. P. Anderson, and W. F. Brinkman, “Theory of the blue phase cholesteric liquid crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 46(18), 1216–1219 (1981). [CrossRef]
9. J. Kerr, “A new relation between electricity and light: Dielectrified media birefringent,” Philos. Mag. 50, 337–348 (1875).
10. P. R. Gerber, “Electro-optical effects of a small-pitch blue-phase system,” Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. (Phila. Pa.) 116(1), 197–206 (1985). [CrossRef]
11. Y. Haseba, H. Kikuchi, T. Nagamura, and T. Kajiyama, “Large electro-optic Kerr effect in nanostructured chiral liquid-crystal composites over a wide-temperature range,” Adv. Mater. 17(19), 2311–2315 (2005). [CrossRef]
12. J. Yan, H. C. Cheng, S. Gauza, Y. Li, M. Jiao, L. Rao, and S. T. Wu, “Extended Kerr effect of polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96(7), 071105 (2010). [CrossRef]
13. J. Li, G. Baird, Y. H. Lin, H. Ren, and S. T. Wu, “Refractive-index matching between liquid crystals and photopolymers,” J. Soc. Inf. Disp. 13(12), 1017–1026 (2005). [CrossRef]
14. G. L. Cloud, Optical Methods of Engineering Analysis (Cambridge, New York, 1998).

Anderson, W. P.
Baird, G.
Brinkman, W. F.
Chen, K. M.
Cheng, H. C.
Choi, S. W.
Gauza, S.
Ge, Z.
Gerber, P. R.
Haseba, Y.
Higuchi, H.
Hisakado, Y.
Jiao, M.
Kajiyama, T.
Kerr, J.
Kikuchi, H.
Lee, S. H.
Li, J.
Li, Y.
Lin, Y. H.
Meiboom, S.
Nagamura, T.
Rao, L.
Ren, H.
Sethna, J. P.
Wu, S. T.
Xianyu, H.
Yamamoto, S. I.
Yan, J.
Yang, H.
Yokota, M.

Adv. Mater.

• Y. Haseba, H. Kikuchi, T. Nagamura, and T. Kajiyama, “Large electro-optic Kerr effect in nanostructured chiral liquid-crystal composites over a wide-temperature range,” Adv. Mater. 17(19), 2311–2315 (2005). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• J. Yan, H. C. Cheng, S. Gauza, Y. Li, M. Jiao, L. Rao, and S. T. Wu, “Extended Kerr effect of polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96(7), 071105 (2010). [CrossRef]
• L. Rao, Z. Ge, S. T. Wu, and S. H. Lee, “Low voltage blue-phase liquid crystal displays,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95(23), 231101 (2009). [CrossRef]
• M. Jiao, Y. Li, and S. T. Wu, “Low voltage and high transmittance blue-phase liquid crystal displays with corrugated electrodes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96(1), 011102 (2010). [CrossRef]
• S. W. Choi, S. I. Yamamoto, Y. Haseba, H. Higuchi, and H. Kikuchi, “Optically isotropic-nanostructured liquid crystal composite with high Kerr constant,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(4), 043119 (2008). [CrossRef]
• Z. Ge, S. Gauza, M. Jiao, H. Xianyu, and S. T. Wu, “Electro-optics of polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal displays,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 94(10), 101104 (2009). [CrossRef]

J. Display Technol.

• Z. Ge, L. Rao, S. Gauza, and S. T. Wu, “Modeling of blue phase liquid crystal displays,” J. Display Technol. 5(7), 250–256 (2009). [CrossRef]
• K. M. Chen, S. Gauza, H. Xianyu, and S. T. Wu, “Submillisecond gray-level response time of a polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal,” J. Display Technol. 6(2), 49–51 (2010). [CrossRef]

J. Soc. Inf. Disp.

• J. Li, G. Baird, Y. H. Lin, H. Ren, and S. T. Wu, “Refractive-index matching between liquid crystals and photopolymers,” J. Soc. Inf. Disp. 13(12), 1017–1026 (2005). [CrossRef]

Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. (Phila. Pa.)

• P. R. Gerber, “Electro-optical effects of a small-pitch blue-phase system,” Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. (Phila. Pa.) 116(1), 197–206 (1985). [CrossRef]

Nat. Mater.

• H. Kikuchi, M. Yokota, Y. Hisakado, H. Yang, and T. Kajiyama, “Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal blue phases,” Nat. Mater. 1(1), 64–68 (2002). [CrossRef]

Philos. Mag.

• J. Kerr, “A new relation between electricity and light: Dielectrified media birefringent,” Philos. Mag. 50, 337–348 (1875).

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• S. Meiboom, J. P. Sethna, W. P. Anderson, and W. F. Brinkman, “Theory of the blue phase cholesteric liquid crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 46(18), 1216–1219 (1981). [CrossRef]

Other

• G. L. Cloud, Optical Methods of Engineering Analysis (Cambridge, New York, 1998).

2010, Jiao, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2010, Chen, J. Display Technol.
2010, Yan, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Ge, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Ge, J. Display Technol.
2009, Rao, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2008, Choi, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2005, Li, J. Soc. Inf. Disp.
2005, Haseba, Adv. Mater.
2002, Kikuchi, Nat. Mater.
1985, Gerber, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. (Phila. Pa.)
1981, Meiboom, Phys. Rev. Lett.
1875, Kerr, Philos. Mag.

Related Journal Articles

• Optical alignment of azo-polymer-stabilized nematic liquid crystals (OL)
• Determination of the Refractive Indices of Layers in a Multilayer Stack by a Guided-Wave Technique (AO)
• Characterization of Dentin and Enamel by use of Optical Coherence Tomography (AO)
• Detailed analysis of second-harmonic-generation Maker fringes in biaxially birefringent materials by a 4×4 matrix formulation (JOSAB)
• Complex Refractive-Index Spectrum of Liquid Crystal in the Infrared (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• Optical Manipulation of Liquid Crystal Drops: Application Towards All-Optical Tunable Photonic Devices
• Analysis of Scattering Loss and Effective Index Step in Asymmetric Cladding Surface Etched Distributed Bragg Reflector Lasers
• Optical birefringence imaging of dentin and enamel
• Polarization Effects in Photonic Liquid Crystal Fibers
• Second-harmonic generation in nonpolar chiral materials: relationship between molecular and macroscopic properties
• Second-harmonic generation in nonpolar chiral materials: relationship between molecular and macroscopic properties