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Dynamic control of motion at the molecular level is a core issue in promoting the bottom-up programmable modulation of sophisticated self-organized superstructures. Self-assembled artificial nanoarchitectures through subtle noncovalent interactions are indispensable for diverse applications. Here, the active solar renewable energy is used to harness cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) superstructure devices via delicate control of the dynamic equilibrium between the concentrations of molecular motor molecules with opposite handedness. Thus, the spectral position and handedness of a photonic superstructure can be tuned continuously, bidirectionally, and reversibly within the entire working spectrum (from near-ultraviolet to the thermal infrared region, over 2 μm). With these unique horizons, three advanced photoresponsive chiroptical devices, namely, a mirrorless laser, an optical vortex generator, and an encrypted contactless photorewritable board, are successfully demonstrated. The sunlight-fueled chirality inversion prompts facile switching of functionalities, such as free-space optical communication, stereoscopic display technology, and spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion. Motor-based chiroptic devices with dynamic and versatility controllability, fast response, ecofriendly characteristics, stability, and high efficiency have potential to replace the traditional elements with static functions. The inexhaustible natural power provides a promising means for outdoor-use optics and nanophotonics.

This study investigates the all-optical directional control of emission in a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC)-infiltrated photonic crystal fiber (PCF) laser. A laser dye-doped CLC (LD-CLC) and an azobenzene LC-doped CLC (ALC-CLC), which are selectively infiltrated into the hollow core and holey-matrix cladding of the PCF, function as an optically active cavity and an all-optical emission direction-controllable light valve, respectively, in the photonic LC fiber (PLCF) laser. Experimental results show that the PLCF has a low energy threshold (approximately 63 nJ/pulse) and a large circular polarization anisotropy (g ≅ 2) in lasing output. The lasing output from the LD-CLC-filled core of the PLCF can be all-optical controlled to emit omni- or semi-directionally or to off-emit by controlling the isothermal phase transition of the CLC between the scattering focal conic state and the transparent isotropic state by the all-optical-induced reversible photoisomerization of the doped ALCs in the cladding region. The emission direction-controllable PLCF laser has significant potential in various applications, such as bio-image, photo-therapy, wearable devices, displays, sensors, and lighting.

This work presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel two-dimensional (2D) all-optical and polarization-independent tunable guided-mode resonance filter. This filter is composed of a 2D sub-wavelength photonic crystal nanostructure with a dye-doped liquid crystal layer in a doped-nanoparticle-induced homeotropic alignment. Experimental results show that the resonant wavelength of the filer can be all-optically and polarization-independently tuned for red- and blue-shifting if the cell is illuminated successively by UV and green beams. The all-optical and polarization-independent tunability of the filter is attributed to the phase transition between homeotropic ( H ) and isotropic ( I ) state, resulting in variations in the LC refractive index between the ordinary index ( n o) and refractive index in I state ( n i) via either UV-beam-induced trans-cis or green-beam-induced cis-trans back isomerization. In addition, the optically tunable cycle of the filter is repeatable for many times without significant decay or damage. This filter has potential applications, such as optical filters in signal processing, optical switches in communications technology, and optical sensors.

Nano- and microscale morphology endows surfaces that play conspicuous roles in natural or artificial objects with unique functions. Surfaces with dynamic regulating features capable of switching the structures, patterns, and even dimensions of their surface profiles can control friction and wettability, thus having potential applications in antibacterial, haptics, and fluid dynamics. Here, a freestanding film with light-switchable surface based on cholesteric liquid crystal networks is presented to translate 2D flat plane into a 3D nanometer-scale topography. The wettability of the interface can be controlled by hiding or revealing the geometrical features of the surfaces with light. This reversible dynamic actuation is obtained through the order parameter change of the periodic cholesteric organization under a photoalignment procedure and lithography-free mode. Complex tailored structures can be used to encrypt tactile information and improve wettability by pre-designing the orientation distribution of liquid crystal director. This rapid switching nano-precision smart surface provides a novel platform for artificial skin, optics, and functional coatings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Self-organized periodic micro/nanostructures caused by stimulus-responsive structural deformation often occur in anisotropic self-assembled supramolecular systems (e.g., liquid crystal systems). However, the long-range orderliness of these structures is often beyond control. In this article, we first demonstrate that a large-area disordered two-dimensional (2D) microgrid chiral structure appears in the cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) reactive mixture because of the photopolymerization-induced Helfrich deformation effect under exposure to the single UV-laser beam. The result is attributed to the impact of an internal longitudinal strain, which is caused by the pitch contraction of the CLC-monomer region through the continuing compression of the thickening CLC polymer layer adhered on the illuminated substrate of the sample during photopolymerization. The experimental results further show that a one-dimensional (1D) UV-laser interference field can be used to effectively control the postformed 2D microgrid structure to arrange in an orderly manner throughout the large exposed area (an order of centimeter). The optimum ability for controlling the orderliness of the microgrid structure can be achieved if the spacing width of the interference field approximates the periodicity of the postformed 2D microgrids. Several factors, such as the pitch of the CLC mixture and the included angle and intensity of the two interfering laser beams, which influence the orderliness and properties of the 2D microgrid structure, are explored in this study. The result of this research opens a new page to improve the applicability of the Helfrich deformation phenomenon and further provides a reference platform for manipulating, modifying, and even tailoring periodic micro/nanostructures in self-organized supramolecular soft-matter systems for application in advanced optics/photonics.

An optically tunable terahertz filter was fabricated using a metasurface-imbedded liquid crystal (LC) cell with photoalignment layers in this work. The LC director in the cell is aligned by a pump beam and makes angles θ of 0, 30, 60 and 90° with respect to the gaps of the split-ring resonators (SRRs) of the metasurface under various polarized directions of the pump beam. Experimental results display that the resonance frequency of the metasurface in the cell increases with an increase in θ, and the cell has a frequency tuning region of 15 GHz. Simulated results reveal that the increase in the resonance frequency arises from the birefringence of the LC, and the LC has a birefringence of 0.13 in the terahertz region. The resonance frequency of the metasurface is shifted using the pump beam, so the metasurface-imbedded LC cell with the photoalignment layers is an optically tunable terahertz filter. The optically tunable terahertz filter is promising for applications in terahertz telecommunication, biosensing and terahertz imaging.

This study investigates and develops for the first time an electrically tunable liquid-crystal–polymer composite laser with a symmetric sandwich structure. This structure includes two identical pol...

Chameleons, which are among the poikilotherms, can rapidly change color for camouflage, communication and thermoregulation. These cold-blooded animals physiologically shift color through the active tuning of lattices of guanine nanocrystals within a superficial thick layer of dermal iridophores. This active tuning can be described as alternating different refractive indices of nano-reflectors, thereby generating interference of light waves. The self-regulation of the skin behind its dynamic color changing ability makes it the ultimate “biomimetic surface” and a continued source of inspiration. We presented a deformation-color multi-responsive actuator whose response is controlled by delicate light to mimic these adaptive functions. This soft smart material is developed by well-aligned cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCE). It performs a 185 nm wavelength shift of selective reflection and is switched by reacting to exposure time. Effective optical management is critical for the operation of many modern technologies. These results demonstrate distinctive potential opportunities for LC elastomers to control light, thereby enabling new applications of modern technologies to textiles, optics, and architecture.

This paper investigates the photoinduced change of refractive index in dye (methyl red, MR)-doped blue phase (DDBP) cells by illumination of a pump beam. Through excitation of light irradiation with proper photon energy, MR can transform from trans-state to cis-state and successively diffuse and anisotropically adsorb on the inner glass substrate of the DDBP cell along the direction perpendicular to the polarisation of the pump beam. The adsorbed MR molecules can effectively rotate the orientation of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules and thereby modulate the effective refractive index of the DDBP cell. The SEM images of the adsorbed regions of the illuminated DDBP samples were also taken for discussing the relation between the pump intensity and the photoinduced birefringence.

Liquid crystal (LC) cells that are coated with metamaterials are fabricated in this work. The LC directors in the cells are aligned by rubbed polyimide layers, and make angles θ of 0°, 45°, and 90° with respect to the gaps of the split-ring resonators (SRRs) of the metamaterials. Experimental results display that the resonance frequencies of the metamaterials in these cells increase with an increase in θ, and the cells have a maximum frequency shifting region of 18 GHz. Simulated results reveal that the increase in the resonance frequencies arises from the birefringence of the LC, and the LC has a birefringence of 0.15 in the terahertz region. The resonance frequencies of the metamaterials are shifted by the rubbing directions of the polyimide layers, so the LC cells coated with the metamaterials are passively tunable terahertz filters. The passively tunable terahertz filters exhibit promising applications on terahertz communication, terahertz sensing, and terahertz imaging.

This study demonstrates a broadband-tunable photonic bandgap (PBG) and thermally convertible laser with an ultra-low lasing threshold based on a gradient-pitched cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polymer template. The lowest energy threshold of the laser is 16 nJ per pulse under a pumped diameter of ca. 250 μm (i.e., 0.33 μJ per pulse per mm2), a value that is superior to those of other band-edge lasers based on most dye/quantum-dot-doped CLC systems. Owing to its multiple advantages, such as high stability, ultra-low lasing threshold, wide-band and linear spatial PBG-tunability, and lasing-mode convertibility, the CLC template device can be potentially used for photonics and display applications.

This Conference Presentation, Bio-inspired photo-actuation based on cholesteric liquid-crystal elastomers with photosensitive derivatives was recorded at Photonics West 2020 held in San Francisco, California, United States.

Refilling cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) template gratings with circular polarization, wavelength selectivity, and dual operation mode are first demonstrated. The gratings with template and nontemplate regions are obtained through the two-beam interfering photo-polymerization, washing-out, and refilling procedure. The refilling CLC has different chiral handedness (left or right) and reflection band (at green and red regions). When the wavelength of a probe beam is within the refilled CLC reflection band of the nontemplate region, the device works as an amplitude grating since the sample in the template and nontemplate regions reflects distinct colour region. In addition, the diffraction intensity of the grating can be electrically controlled. Therefore, this CLC-based device can be potentially used in controllable diffraction elements in optics.

This work fabricates a fishnet grating by exerting two one-dimensional (1D) holographic interference fields with mutually orthogonal grating vectors separately on the substrates of a dye-doped liquid crystal (DDLC) cell. The DDLC mixture in the cell includes a nematic LC, methyl red (MR) dye, and 4-methoxyazobenzene (4MAB) dye. The fishnet grating is formed because the periodical adsorption of the MR dye on the irradiated surfaces of the cell causes the anisotropic photoalignment of the LC. The fishnet grating can be erased (recovered) by the illumination of a UV (green) beam since the trans → cis (cis → trans) isomerization of the 4MAB dye causes the isothermal nematic → isotropic (isotropic → nematic) phase transition of the LC. Such a grating can be used to develop optically controllable photonic crystals. Simulated results depict that a photoresist-coated plastic substrate that is exposed to the fishnet pattern of a 2D grating can be used to develop terahertz fishnet metamaterials, and their resonance spectra can be passively tuned by moving the substrate and lens that forms the fishnet pattern during fabrication. Therefore, the mask-free photolithography can be used to fabricate passively tunable terahertz filters.

ZnO nanowires (NWs) were directly grown on ductile zinc foil by thermal oxidation at 500 °C. The highly crystalline ZnO NWs exhibited bidirectional growth preferentially oriented in the [101] orientation. The ZnO NWs were highly resistant to hydroxyl groups and water compared with Zn foil that was oxidized naturally. The narrow excitonic photoluminescence (PL) peak combined with strongly suppressed visible emission demonstrated the high optical quality of the NWs. The binding energies of the donor bands and an acceptor band were obtained through temperature-dependent PL analysis. The NWs would be suitable for flexible planar UV device applications.

Almost 30 years ago, the Editors and Editorial Board of Liquid Crystals took a decision to no longer publish complete conference proceedings, and in part to ensure that the overall quality of the j...

Currently, the remaining grand challenge liquid crystal displays (LCD's) face in the market is response time (a few milliseconds), which is ∼ 100 times slower than that of OLEDs (∼ 0.1 ms). To achieve the goal of sub-millisecond response time and suppressing the colour breakup issue, blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) is emerging as a strong candidate. The blue phase is stable in a narrow temperature range and consists of individual liquid crystal molecules arranged into double twisted cylinders. However, the strong wavelength dependent scattering of circularly polarised light dependent on lattice constant and crystal orientation leads to striking visual colour effects which hint at future display applications. To improve temperature stability, cross-linked polymer networks have been used to stabilize the BPLC lattice structure and extend the blue phase temperature range to more than 95°C including room temperature. However, this approach leads to randomly oriented blue phase (BP) structures with poor optical transmittance, contrast and high operating voltage (>100 V) [1].

A liquid crystal (LC) layer that is too thick exhibits a small terahertz birefringence due to the limited long-range force of the alignment layers that exert on it. An LC layer that is too thin has a small terahertz birefringence due to its invisibility to incident terahertz waves. Therefore, an LC layer may have a large terahertz birefringence at a specific thickness. It is well known that the birefringence of an LC layer dominates the shift of the resonance frequency of the metamaterial imbedded into the LC layer. As a result, this work studies the effect of the thicknesses of LC layers on the shift of the resonance frequencies of metamaterials. LC layers with various thicknesses ranging from 310 µm to 1487 µm are deposited on terahertz metamaterials, and each of the layers is aligned by two polyimide layers that are rubbed in a direction. The terahertz metamaterials have a maximum frequency shifting range of 21 GHz as 710 µm thick LC layers with mutually orthogonal rubbing directions are deposited on them. The maximum frequency shifting range arises from the competition between the long-range force of the polyimide layers and the interaction between the LC layers and their incident terahertz waves.

Liquid crystals (LCs) are distinctive materials that are applicable to a wide range of disciplines, such as continuum mechanics, optics of anisotropic media, statistical physics, and crystallography. The diverse structures and eye-catching topological defects of LCs in confined geometries are affected by nematic elasticity, chirality, and surface anchoring. Herein, we report the formation and detailed configuration of cholesteric LC (CLC) microdroplets with different pitches pierced by electrospun poly(methyl methacrylate) microfibers. Two kinds of surface anchoring, namely, homeotropic anchoring at the air–CLC droplet interface and planar anchoring at the fiber–CLC droplet interface, coexist in this system. By controlling temperature and light irradiation, the system exhibits thermal- and photo-dependent LC morphological and topological evolutions. The observed structures are complemented by numerical simulations of possible director fields decorated by defects. The externally controllable CLC necklaces constitute extraordinary systems for exploring the morphology and topological defects and open a route for applications in topological remote control, nanoscience, biomedical research, and the development of devices based on topologically structured soft media.

Dye-doped nematic liquid crystal refilled gradient-pitched enantiomorphic cholesteric liquid crystal polymer templates are demonstrated. The enantiomorphic device has high reflectivity and wide spectral tunability throughout the entire visible region. This device can also provide low threshold lasing emission with both right- and left-circular polarizations from the blue to the red region.

ZnO nanowires (NWs) were directly grown on zinc foils through a two-step process: (i) Zn foils fabrication and (ii) thermal oxidization at temperature 400 °C. The dense and orderly aligned ZnO NWs grown on Zn hexagonal-faceted surface presented preferential growth in the [101] orientation and showed bidirectional growth mode with an intersection angle of about 60°. The faceted and bidirectional growth mode of ZnO NWs would be applicable in the fabrication of planar nanodevices. The edge growth mechanism is proposed for the growth of NWs. In photoluminescence (PL) studies, we have observed exciton peak around 368 nm with a small PL full width at half maximum (~ 8 meV) and visible emission was strongly suppressed. These characteristics indicated that the ZnO NWs had high optical properties.

Kesterite quaternary semiconductor Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 nanocrystals were successfully prepared via a relatively simple electrospinning route and characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Semiconductor Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 nanofibers were obtained for PVB/ Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 precursor at an applied voltage of 20 kV after annealing treatment at 500 °C for 2 h. The optical property of Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 nanocrystals was also recorded by means of UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. It was shown that the dimension effect of composites could be enhanced by increasing the electrospinning conditions (voltage, distances, concentrations, viscosity) and the CZTSe nanofibers prepared at annealing process exhibited more intense optical properties. Temperature dependent studies were conducted and the annealing of composites was found to be the key factor in determining the phase formation.

In this study, the all-optical control properties of photonic crystals based on self-assembled chiral-azobenzene-doped blue phase liquid crystals (CA-BPLCs) were investigated. The difference in the photothermal characteristics of CA-BPLCs with and without homogeneous surface alignment was discussed. Results revealed that surface alignment could induce more uniform and diverse blue phase (BP) structures, including BPII, BPI, and BPS-like phases during cooling. Consequently, the temperature range of BP was wider than that of the sample without surface alignment. All-optical control experiments with light illumination were then performed on the aligned or nonaligned CA-BPLC samples. During continuous irradiation with light beams at wavelengths of 405 and 450 nm, CA dopants underwent trans&rarr, cis and cis&rarr, trans back photoisomerizations, respectively. These processes promoted isothermal phase transition and wavelength shifting, which further enabled the all-optical control of the CA-BPLC samples. Various optical control modes of BPLC could be achieved through phase change and wavelength shifting by appropriately selecting the working temperature and surface treatment of BPLC. This study could be further used as a basis for developing photoswitchable and tunable BPLC photonic devices, such as light-controllable gratings, filters, mirrors, and lasers.

A liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) film is successfully deposited with a terahertz metamaterial using thermal evaporation via a programmed electronic shutter and high-efficiency cooling system. The transmittance of the metamaterial at its resonance frequency is monotonically increased from 0.0036 to 1.0 as a pump beam bends the LCE film, so the metamaterial has a large switching contrast of 277 at the frequency. The monotonic increase in the resonance transmittance arises from the constant resonance frequency of the metamaterial at the transmittance modulation and depicts that the metamaterial-deposited LCE film can continuously tune the transmitted intensity of a terahertz beam. The metamaterial-deposited LCE film has potential in developing continuously tunable intensity modulators with large switching contrasts for the application of terahertz imaging and terahertz communication. Therefore, the thermal evaporation expands the application of metamaterials and improves their optical properties.