Enhanced electro-optical properties of a nematic liquid crystals in presence of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles

Abstract

Composites of nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) and ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared. The alignments of NPs in the host medium have been demonstrated. Effect of NPs doping on various display parameters of NLCs, namely, threshold voltage, dielectric anisotropy and splay elastic constant has been studied using electro-optical and dielectric studies. The nematic ordering of host supports alignment of NPs parallel to the director which consequently improves electro-optical parameters in the composite system. The dielectric and electro-optic properties of LC–NPs composites have been discussed in frame of conventional theories of NLCs.

Keywords:

• liquid crystals–nano particles composites
• display parameters
• dielectric parameters
• transmission-voltage characteristics

Funding

The work is financially supported by DAE (BRNS) [project no.2010/20/37P/4/BRNS/1591]. One of us UBS thanks DAE (BRNS) for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) under the project. We thank Dr A.S. Pandey and Mr Avanish Mishra for their help during experiments.