Electro-optics of polymer-stabilised blue phase liquid crystal in in-plane switching mode

ABSTRACT

In the present work, polymer-stabilised blue phase liquid crystal ***(PS-BPLC) that exhibit the blue phase (BP) in a temperature range of 312.15 K to 298.15 K has been prepared. The textural and electro-optic studies were performed in the BP range using an in-plane switching (IPS) cell. Platelet-type textures of cubic BP having an average domain size of ~12 µm were observed. The on-state voltage increased with increasing the temperature due to reduced value of the Kerr constant. Further, the hysteresis was found to be reduced from 19.2% to 5.1% by operating the PS-BPLC sample cell at an elevated temperature.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Polymer-stabilised blue phase
• double twist cylinder
• liquid crystal
• chiral nematic
• hysteresis

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for providing financial assistance under the project no. SR/FT/CS-50/2011. One of the authors Arshdeep Singh thanks the University Grants Commission, New Delhi for providing the Teacher Fellowship vide letter F. No. 27-6 (TF)/2012(NRCB).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi: [SR/FT/CS-50/2011].