Near-infrared luminescence emitted by an electrically switched liquid crystal cell

Switching of near-infrared emission was observed for liquid crystal (LC) cells filled with a chiral nematic liquid–crystal mixture (mixture of E7 and cholesteryl nonanoate) doped with luminescent neodymium(III) or ytterbium(III) β-diketonate complexes. The operating principle of the LC cell is based on an electrically induced phase transition from a chiral nematic to a nematic phase. The chiral nematic phase scatters the excitation light more strongly, resulting in more efficient light absorption and intenser photoluminescence.