Liquid Crystal Polarization Converters Using Circular-Buffed Polystyrene Film
Polystyrene is well known to align liquid crystal (LC) perpendicular to the rubbing direction. Based on this unique feature, we prepared two cells with special LC alignments using circular-buffed polystyrene as the alignment layer. For the cell with hybrid-radial LC alignment, it can convert a linea...
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| Published in: | Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Vol. 50; no. 10; pp. 102205 - 102205-4 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Japan Society of Applied Physics
01-10-2011
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| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Polystyrene is well known to align liquid crystal (LC) perpendicular to the rubbing direction. Based on this unique feature, we prepared two cells with special LC alignments using circular-buffed polystyrene as the alignment layer. For the cell with hybrid-radial LC alignment, it can convert a linear polarization light to axial polarization light; for the cell with twisted-radial LC alignment, it can change a linear polarization light into radial polarization light. The two LC polarization cell converters with polystyrene as their alignment layer have the advantages of easy fabrication, simple processing, and scalable size. |
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| Bibliography: | PS and LC orientation on the rubbed PS surface. (a) Chemical structure of PS, (b) perpendicular to the linear-rubbed direction, and (c) radial orientation on the circular-rubbed surface. LC alignment in cell-1. (a) The top surface of the cell is circularly rubbed and the bottom surface is coated with homotropic PI. (b) The hybrid alignment in $xoz$ plane. Hybrid-radial LC cell-1 observed using a polarizing microscope. The cell gap is ${\sim}24.7$ mm and LC P0616A. (a) Intensity patterns observed between crossed polarizers. P: polarizer, A: analyzer, and R: rubbing direction of the bottom substrate. (b) Mechanism of linear polarization light converting to axial polarization light. LC alignment in cell-2. (a) The top surface of the cell is rubbed circularly and the bottom surface is rubbed linearly. (b) Homogeneous alignment in $xoz$ plane. (c) 90° twisted alignment in $yoz$ plane. (d) Mechanism of converting a linear polarization light to radial polarization light. Twisted-radial cell-2 observed using the polarizing microscope. (a) Intensity patterns observed between crossed polarizers. The polarization direction of the incident light is parallel to the rubbing direction of the cell. (b) The observed dark state with 30 V \text{rms applied to the cell. |
| ISSN: | 0021-4922 1347-4065 |
| DOI: | 10.1143/JJAP.50.102205 |