Aerosil Gels-Dispersed Blue-Phase Liquid Crystals: A New Technique to Control the Electro-Optical Behavior of a Fast-Switching Display.

This study explores the roles of aerosil gels dispersed blue phase (AG-d-BP) liquid crystals and the influence on thermal, optical and electro-optical behaviors of the resultant blue phase liquid crystal composites. Adding the aerosil nanoparticles in blue phase media leads to broadening the blue phase temperature range and reducing the switching voltage for a fast switching Kerr device. Additionally, the polarity-controlled nanoparticles enable one to stabilize the thermal-sensitive Bragg reflection property which opens pathways for applications such as active transformation optical elements and low power consumption displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]