Reflective mode of deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal cells for sensing applications

We present a detailed theoretical and experimental study of the reflectance response of a deformed-helix ferroelectric (DHF) liquid crystal (LC) cell to an applied voltage under cross-polarisers. Using a model based on the effective dielectric tensor approximation, we derive simple analytical formulas to design a LC cell with maximum modulation depth and optimal linearity of the electro-optical response intensity versus the electric field. Our experimental results show that the cell works at frequencies up to 10 kHz and exhibits excellent linearity, with a total harmonic distortion as low as −70 dB. These findings suggest that DHF-LCs can be exploited to develop simple and accurate optical sensors.

[1]  I. Abdulhalim.  Highly promising electrooptic material: Distorted helix ferroelectric liquid crystal with a specific tilt angle , 2012 .

[2]  Qi Guo,et al.  Fast electro-optical mode in photo-aligned reflective deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal cells. , 2012, Optics letters.

[3]  Shin‐Tson Wu,et al.  Submillisecond-response polymer network liquid crystal phase modulators at 1.06-μm wavelength , 2011 .

[4]  A. Strigazzi,et al.  Permittivity of Chiral Smectics in the Broad Range from 0.1 mHz to 50 kHz: Discovery of Sub-mHz Dielectric Dispersion , 2011 .

[5]  Demetri Psaltis,et al.  Optofluidic modulator based on peristaltic nematogen microflows , 2011 .

[6]  Hoi-Sing Kwok,et al.  Polarization-gratings approach to deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystals with subwavelength pitch. , 2011, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[7]  E. Miraldi,et al.  Phase modulation and ellipticity of the light transmitted through a smectic C* layer with short helix pitch , 2010 .

[8]  A. Krivoshey,et al.  New Chiral Dopant Possessing High Twisting Power , 2009 .

[9]  Slawomir Ertman,et al.  Photonic Liquid Crystal Fibers for Sensing Applications , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.

[10]  Gregory P. Crawford,et al.  Liquid-crystal materials find a new order in biomedical applications. , 2007, Nature materials.

[11]  W. Haase,et al.  Relaxation phenomena : liquid crystals, magnetic systems, polymers, high-Tc superconductors, metallic glasses , 2003 .

[12]  Eugene P. Pozhidaev,et al.  Electro-optical properties of deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal display cells , 2001, International Symposium on Advanced Display Technologies.

[13]  S. Pikin,et al.  High frequency and high voltage mode of deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystals in a broad temperature range , 2000 .

[14]  V. A. Berenberg,et al.  Deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulator that demonstrates high diffraction efficiency and 370-line pairs/mm resolution. , 1999, Applied optics.

[15]  D. Davidov,et al.  Spatial light modulator based on a deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal and a thin a-Si:H amorphous photoconductor. , 1997, Applied optics.

[16]  Martin Schadt,et al.  Optical patterning of multi-domain liquid-crystal displays with wide viewing angles , 1996, Nature.

[17]  Schubert,et al.  Polarization-dependent optical parameters of arbitrarily anisotropic homogeneous layered systems. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[18]  K. Johnson,et al.  High-speed liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators using high-voltage circuitry. , 1995, Optics letters.

[19]  Francesco Anagni,et al.  Optical sensors for electric substations: a voltage presence detector using a liquid crystal cell , 1994 .

[20]  Ibrahim Abdulhalim,et al.  Electrically and Optically Controlled Light Modulation and Color Switching Using Helix Distortion of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals , 1991 .

[21]  Wayne M. Gibbons,et al.  Surface-mediated alignment of nematic liquid crystals with polarized laser light , 1991, Nature.

[22]  J. Fünfschilling,et al.  Fast responding and highly multiplexible distorted helix ferroelectric liquid‐crystal displays , 1989 .

[23]  Vladimir G. Chigrinov,et al.  Deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal display: A new electrooptic mode in ferroelectric chiral smectic C liquid crystals , 1989 .

[24]  N. Clark,et al.  Submicrosecond bistable electro‐optic switching in liquid crystals , 1980 .

[25]  S. Pikin,et al.  Piezoeffects and ferroelectric phenomena in smectic liquid crystals , 1978 .