Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces
We demonstrate enhanced surface anchoring energy and control of pretilt angle in a nematic liquid crystal cell with vertical alignment and polymerized surfaces (PS-VA). The polymerized surfaces are formed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced phase separation of a minute amount of a reactive monom...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AIP Publishing LLC
2015-09-01
|
| Series: | AIP Advances |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4932153 |
| _version_ | 1811302969781518336 |
|---|---|
| author | Libo Weng Pei-Chun Liao Chen-Chun Lin Tien-Lun Ting Wen-Hao Hsu Jenn-Jia Su Liang-Chy Chien |
| author_facet | Libo Weng Pei-Chun Liao Chen-Chun Lin Tien-Lun Ting Wen-Hao Hsu Jenn-Jia Su Liang-Chy Chien |
| author_sort | Libo Weng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We demonstrate enhanced surface anchoring energy and control of pretilt angle in a nematic liquid crystal cell with vertical alignment and polymerized surfaces (PS-VA). The polymerized surfaces are formed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced phase separation of a minute amount of a reactive monomer in the vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystal. By introducing a bias voltage during UV curing, surface-localized polymer protrusions with a dimension of 100nm and a field-induced pretilt angle are observed. Experimental evidences and theoretical analyses validate that PS-VA has increased surface anchoring strength by two folds and pretilt angle has been changed from 89° to 86° compared to those of a VA cell. The enabling PS-VA cell technique with excel electro-optical properties such as very good dark state, high optical contrast, and fast rise and decay times may lead to development of a wide range of applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:38:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-19ce20d5e0b442e7b9171c10e11630b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:38:50Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIP Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-19ce20d5e0b442e7b9171c10e11630b42022-12-22T02:55:58ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262015-09-0159097218097218-910.1063/1.4932153099509ADVAnchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfacesLibo Weng0Pei-Chun Liao1Chen-Chun Lin2Tien-Lun Ting3Wen-Hao Hsu4Jenn-Jia Su5Liang-Chy Chien6Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, U.S.A.Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, U.S.A.AU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu, 300, TaiwanAU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu, 300, TaiwanAU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu, 300, TaiwanAU Optronics Corporation, Hsinchu, 300, TaiwanLiquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, U.S.A.We demonstrate enhanced surface anchoring energy and control of pretilt angle in a nematic liquid crystal cell with vertical alignment and polymerized surfaces (PS-VA). The polymerized surfaces are formed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced phase separation of a minute amount of a reactive monomer in the vertical-aligned nematic liquid crystal. By introducing a bias voltage during UV curing, surface-localized polymer protrusions with a dimension of 100nm and a field-induced pretilt angle are observed. Experimental evidences and theoretical analyses validate that PS-VA has increased surface anchoring strength by two folds and pretilt angle has been changed from 89° to 86° compared to those of a VA cell. The enabling PS-VA cell technique with excel electro-optical properties such as very good dark state, high optical contrast, and fast rise and decay times may lead to development of a wide range of applications.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4932153 |
| spellingShingle | Libo Weng Pei-Chun Liao Chen-Chun Lin Tien-Lun Ting Wen-Hao Hsu Jenn-Jia Su Liang-Chy Chien Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces AIP Advances |
| title | Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| title_full | Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| title_fullStr | Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| title_short | Anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| title_sort | anchoring energy enhancement and pretilt angle control of liquid crystal alignment on polymerized surfaces |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4932153 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liboweng anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT peichunliao anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT chenchunlin anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT tienlunting anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT wenhaohsu anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT jennjiasu anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces AT liangchychien anchoringenergyenhancementandpretiltanglecontrolofliquidcrystalalignmentonpolymerizedsurfaces |