Title :
Optical devices fabricated from porous thin films embedded with liquid crystals
Author :
Sit, J.C. ; Broer, D.J. ; Brett, M.J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Alberta Univ., Edmonton, Alta., Canada
Abstract :
Porous thin films with tailored chiral microstructure fabricated using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) have previously been shown to exhibit unique chiral optic response. Recently, the pores of chiral GLAD films were filled with liquid crystalline (LC) materials to produce a new class of hybrid materials which exhibit enhanced chiral optic response. We demonstrate here reversible electro-optic switching of the LC component in a cell structure composed of a chiral GLAD film embedded with a nematic LC. When the cell is addressed, the chiral optic response vanishes.
Keywords :
chirality; electro-optical switches; liquid crystal devices; nematic liquid crystals; optical films; porous materials; silicon compounds; vacuum deposited coatings; SiO/sub 2/; cell addressing; chiral GLAD film; chiral optic response; enhanced chiral optic response; glancing angle deposition; hybrid materials; liquid crystal embedding; nematic liquid crystal; physical vapour deposition; porous SiO/sub 2/ thin films; reversible electro-optic switching; tailored chiral microstructure; Crystalline materials; Filling; Liquid crystal devices; Liquid crystal polymers; Liquid crystals; Optical devices; Optical films; Optical materials; Optical scattering; Thin film devices;
Conference_Titel :
Electron Devices Meeting, 1999. IEDM '99. Technical Digest. International
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5410-9
DOI :
10.1109/IEDM.1999.823861
