Laser Written Stretchable Diffractive Optic Elements in Liquid Crystal Gels
Abstrak
Direct laser writing (DLW) in liquid crystals (LCs) enables a range of new stimuli-responsive functionality to be realized. Here, a method of fabricating mechanically tunable diffraction gratings in stretchable LC gels is demonstrated using a combination of two-photon polymerization direct laser writing (TPP-DLW) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Results are presented that demonstrate the fabrication of a diffraction grating that is written using TPP-DLW in the presence of an electric field in order to align and lock-in the LC director in a homeotropic configuration. The electric field is subsequently removed and the surrounding regions of the LC layer are then exposed to UV light to freeze-in a different alignment so as to ensure that there is a phase difference between the laser written and UV illuminated polymerized regions. It is found that there is a change in the period of the diffraction grating when observed on a polarizing optical microscope as well as a change in the far-field diffraction pattern when the film is stretched or contracted. These experimental results are then compared with the results from simulations. The paper concludes with a demonstration of tuning of the far-field diffraction pattern of a 2-dimensional diffraction grating.
Penulis (8)
Bohan Chen
Zimo Zhao
Camron Nourshargh
Chao He
Patrick S. Salter
Martin J. Booth
Steve J. Elston
Stephen M. Morris
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2022
- Bahasa
- en
- Total Sitasi
- 9×
- Sumber Database
- CrossRef
- DOI
- 10.3390/cryst12101340
- Akses
- Open Access ✓