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Owing to the passive nature of liquid crystal (LC) materials, achieving luminous displays using pure LC materials is challenging. In addition, it is difficult to achieve a fast switching time using pristine ferroelectric LC devices without compromising their cell thickness. Herein, we have developed a fast switching and highly luminescent electro-optical device by dispersing a minute concentration of bimetallic nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) having a spherical gold core and a silver shell within a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) host matrix, ZLI3654. Au@Ag core–shell NPs having synergic attributes of both counterparts were successfully synthesized by a facile seed-mediated route. The Au core helps to tune the shape of the Ag shell and provides enhanced electron density as well as improved stability against oxidation. Introducing nanoparticles induces little structural modifications to the host FLC, resulting in an improvement in the mesogenic alignment. Interestingly, ∼29-fold enhancement in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity is observed on dispersing 0.25 wt% of Au@Ag NPs into the FLC host matrix. The enhanced electromagnetic field in the FLC-nanocomposite is attributed to the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Au@Ag NPs, which strengthens the photon absorption rates by the FLC molecules, culminating in the massive enrichment of the PL intensity. In addition, the improved localized electric field inside the FLC device led to a noticeable enhancement in the spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and, most interestingly, ∼53% fastening in the switching time at an optimum concentration (0.25 wt%) of Au@Ag NPs. The improved electro-optical parameters of the Au@Ag NPs/FLC composite have been compared with the performance of both pristine Au NPs/FLC and Ag NPs/FLC composites, respectively, for the comprehensiveness of the study. The present study paves a systematic way to develop FLC-based advanced electro-optical devices with faster switching and higher luminescence properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in fullerene-based polymer structures has renewed due to the development of synthesis technologies using thin C60 polymers. Fullerene networks are good semiconductors. In this paper, heterostructure complexes composed of C60 polymer networks on atomically thin dielectric substrates are modeled. Small tensile and compressive deformations make it possible to ensure appropriate placement of monolayer boron nitride with fullerene networks. The choice of a piezoelectric boron nitride substrate was dictated by interest in their applicability in mechanoelectric, photoelectronic, and electro-optical devices with the ability to control their properties. The results we obtained show that C60 polymer/h-BN heterostructures are stable compounds. The van der Waals interaction that arises between them affects their electronic and optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electro-optical effect-based liquid crystal devices have been extensively used in optical modulation techniques, in which the Kerr coefficient reflects the sensitivity of the liquid crystals and determines the strength of the device's operational electric field. The Peterlin–Stuart theory and the O'Konski model jointly indicate that a giant Kerr coefficient could be obtained in a material with both a large geometrical anisotropy and an intrinsic polarization, but such a material is not yet reported. Here we reveal a ferroelectric effect in a monolayer two-dimensional mineral vermiculite. A large geometrical anisotropy factor and a large inherent electric dipole together raise the record value of Kerr coefficient by an order of magnitude, till 3.0 × 10−4 m V−2. This finding enables an ultra-low operational electric field of 102–104 V m−1 and the fabrication of electro-optical devices with an inch-level electrode separation, which has not previously been practical. Because of its high ultraviolet stability (decay <1% under ultraviolet exposure for 1000 hours), large-scale production, and energy efficiency, prototypical displayable billboards have been fabricated for outdoor interactive scenes. This work provides new insights for both liquid crystal optics and two-dimensional ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel light switch was developed by integrating polymer dispersion liquid crystals (PDLC) and polymer-stabilised cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLC), leveraging the infrared shielding properties of these two liquid crystal films. The optimal formulation for each layer of the liquid crystal structure was investigated. Subsequently, the effects of light intensity, high temperature, and humidity on the performance of the light switch were examined. This new light switch can be selectively driven layer by layer at room temperature, achieving three states: the off state, PDLC layer-driven state, and full-driven (on state). This functionality serves the purpose of electrogenerated temperature control. Samples under optimal conditions exhibited a 31% enhancement in infrared shielding compared to a single-layer PDLC film. Moreover, the IR shielding rate could be adjusted according to the voltage applied, realising an intelligent temperature-control effect. The results of this study suggest that such bilayer liquid crystal structures hold significant potential for application in electro-optical devices and smart curtain systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitters attract interest as organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) materials with potentially 100% internal quantum efficiency (IQE). Their application in commercial displays is still hindered due to the not yet sufficient operational stability. We analyze the degradation mechanism in a TADF OLED by combining electro‐optical characterization and device simulations. We find that two trap states are being created at the HTL/EML interface during initial degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper comprehensively addresses the integration of advanced technologies to enhance defense capabilities, with a particular focus on critical tasks such as object detection, tracking, and distance measurement. To this end, the integration of IMX219-77 cameras and Nvidia Jetson Nano is proposed, emphasizing the utilization of their respective features. Commonly used tools like open source computer vision (OpenCV) and GStreamer are preferred for ensuring cohesive integration between hardware and software components. On the software front, tools such as OpenCV and GStreamer are preferred for tasks related to computer vision and multimedia processing. The MOSSE algorithm is selected for object tracking due to its speed, efficiency, and resilience to changes in lighting conditions. Additionally, distance measurement is achieved through the use of Stereo Vision techniques. The results of the study demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed integration. It is found that accurate distance measurements with a margin of error ranging from 0 to 2 mm, falling within acceptable limits mentioned in relevant literature, can be achieved. This underscores the efficacy of the proposed technologies for tasks such as object detection, tracking, and distance measurement. The aim of the study is to conduct an in-depth examination of the integration of advanced tools such as IMX219-77 cameras and Nvidia Jetson Nano for use in defense operations. It seeks to showcase how this integration can strengthen defense strategies and provide protection against potential threats. Additionally, the study aims to lay the groundwork for ongoing innovation and development in defense technologies. In conclusion, the integration of electrooptical systems and computer vision technologies has the potential to significantly enhance defense capabilities and contribute to national security efforts. The advantages provided by this integration can serve as a valuable resource for researchers seeking to develop new solutions in defense and security domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a double-layer liquid crystal light shutter and investigated its temperature dependent morphological, electro-optical, and dielectric properties. The optical layers of the shutter are in direct contact, reducing optical losses. The shutter comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film adjacent to an azo dye methyl red and CdSeS/ZnS quantum dot doped cholesteric liquid crystal layer. This novel double-layer light shutter device is switchable between opaque and transparent states at room temperature, and it exhibits low threshold and saturation voltages. Both the threshold (V th) and saturation (V sat) voltages are found to decrease with increasing temperature. The electrical characteristics of the shutter, namely the real part of dielectric constant (ε′) and the ac conductivity (σ ac) also increase with temperature in the low frequency region. Our results show that this double-layer light shutter has interesting potential for simple electro-optical devices and smart window applications. • A double-layer light shutter consisting of polymer dispersed liquid crystal and azo dye/quantum dot doped cholesteric liquid crystal composite was produced. • Temperature dependent electro-optical and dielectric properties of double-layer light shutter were investigated. • Threshold voltage (V th), saturation voltage (V sat), and contrast ratio (CR) parameters of double-layer light shutter were decreased with increasing temperature. • Dielectric constants (ε ′ and ε ′′) and ac conductivity (σ ac) values of double-layer light shutter were increased with increasing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuInS2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (CIS/ZnS QDs) dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) mixtures have been characterized for their application in electro-optical devices, energy storage, and solar cells. Physical properties of the CIS/ZnS QD-FLC (ferroelectric liquid crystal) mixtures have also been investigated with varying QD concentrations in order to optimize the critical concentration of QDs in mixtures. The presence of QDs breaks the geometrical symmetry in the FLC matrix, which results in a change in the physical properties of the mixtures. We observed the reduced values of primary and secondary order parameters (tilt angle and spontaneous polarization, respectively) for mixtures, which also depend on the concentration of QDs. The reduction of spontaneous polarization in QDs-FLC mixtures is attributed to the adverse role of flexoelectric contribution in the mixtures. The 92% faster electro-optic response and enhanced capacitance indicate the possible application of these mixtures in electro-optical devices and solar cells. Photoluminescence emission of pure FLC and QDs-FLC mixtures has been thermally tailored, which is explained by suitable models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal liquid crystals are an emerging class of soft materials that naturally combine the unique properties of both liquid crystal molecules and colloidal particles. Chiral liquid crystal blue phases are attractive for use in fast optical displays and electrooptical devices, but the construction of blue phases is limited to a few chiral building blocks and the formation of blue phases from achiral ones is often counterintuitive. Herein we demonstrate that achiral dumbbell-shaped colloids can assemble into a rich variety of characteristic liquid crystal phases, including nematic phases with lock structures, smectic phase, and particularly experimental observation of blue phase III with double-twisted chiral columns. Phase diagrams from experiments and simulations show that the existence and stable regions of different liquid crystal phases are strongly dependent on the geometrical parameters of dumbbell-shaped colloids. This work paves a new route to the design and construction of blue phases for photonic applications. Colloidal liquid crystals account for various applications due to the combination of characteristics relevant for liquid crystals and colloids. The authors elaborate the impact of concave geometry on the properties of colloidal liquid crystals for development of functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloying of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) enables modulation of their energy structure and bandgap, and thus, is crucially important for their integration into optical and electrooptical devices. However, achieving high yield and efficient alloying is often challenging due to the thermodynamic preference of one of the components over the other. Here, we develop a process for growing M o 1 − x W x S 2 alloys. While common chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-based growing techniques give limited alloying due to the thermodynamic dominance of Mo S 2 over W S 2 , we present here an efficient means to achieve high-yield alloying via a two-step CVD process. In this process, first, we grew monolayer W S 2 flakes on a substrate, followed by the nucleation-diffusion second step. In this step, Mo S 2 nucleates mostly on the edges of the W S 2 , followed by diffusion of the Mo atoms into the flakes to achieve M o 1 − x W x S 2 alloys. Indeed, we obtained a large amount of alloy growth with different atomic compositions (i.e., various values of x). We employed several analysis methods, including Raman, photoluminescence, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron dispersive spectroscopy, to characterize the properties of the grown alloys. These analyses demonstrate the transition from W S 2 - (x → 1) to Mo S 2 -like (x → 0) behaviors, through alloy behavior (0 < x < 1), which combines the properties of both materials and presents a homogenous distribution of the diffused atoms. We also showed that controlling the diffusion time can efficiently determine the average atomic composition of the alloys. This work, therefore, overcomes the inherent thermodynamic barrier that limits the large-scale synthesis of TMD alloys, and thus, it paves the path toward their integration into advanced optoelectronic tunable bandgap applications. • We developed a simple process for large-scale growth of 2D TMD alloys. • This process overcomes a thermodynamic barrier that limits scalability of alloys. • We first grew WS 2 and then applied nucleation-diffusion process to get the alloys. • Mo atoms diffused uniformly into the alloys. • Nucleation-diffusion time is an important determinant of the atoms concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Design and synthesis of new liquid crystals dimers with chiral tilted smectic phases is outlined. • Studied dimers exhibit low melting point, high tilt angle, and temperature-stable helical pitch. • DIMER 3 promotes an anticlinic state in surface-stabilised geometry of antiferroelectric liquid crystals (AFLCs). • The knowledge gained will facilitate the use of designed AFLCs in working electro-optical devices. The growing demand for enhanced optical quality and faster electro-optical response in liquid crystal (LC) photonic devices has expanded the search for advanced materials capable of improving the properties of LCs beyond conventional ones. Among these compounds are LC dimers with ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties which can be incorporated into LC mixtures to enhance performance. However, existing dimers often feature high melting temperatures, enthalpies, and other physicochemical characteristics that render them unsuitable as dopants in antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) mixtures targeted to modern photonic devices. Here, we show the design and physicochemical properties of novel dimers which are characterized by low melting points, high tilt angles and spontaneous polarizations, temperature-stable helical structures, and reasonably broad temperature ranges of ferroelectric or antiferroelectric phases. These features have facilitated the effective use of one dimer as a dopant in AFLCs. This eliminates the primary drawback of the electro-optical effect based on the surface-stabilised geometry of AFLCs by strongly promoting the anticlinic state in this effect. Importantly, for the first time, the above can be achieved without affecting any other physicochemical or optical properties of AFLCs. Thus, the obtained results represent a pivotal link between the longstanding concept of developing AFLCs that meet the stringent requirements for electro-optical effects based on surface-stabilised geometry and the realization of novel photonic devices demonstrating all the benefits of this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document, titled "P-13.4: Electro-optical properties of frequency-switched graphene oxide liquid crystal," discusses the electro-optical properties of graphene oxide (GO) liquid crystal (LC) material. The study explores the influence of electric frequency on the electro-optical behaviors of GO-LC and the potential for tuning its properties using the frequency-switched method. The research finds that the birefringence of GO-LC initially increases with frequency, reaches a saturated state, and then declines as the frequency exceeds 500 kHz. The optimal frequency range for maximum birefringence value varies with concentration. The study concludes that the interference intensity and sensitivity of GO-LC can be controlled by tuning the electric frequency within the optimal range. [Extracted from the article]

Effects of luminescent coupling are observed in monolithic 5V, five-junction GaAs phototransducers. Power conversion efficiency was measured at 61.6%±3% under the continuous, monochromatic illumination for which they were designed. Modeling shows that photon recycling can account for up to 350mV of photovoltage in these devices. Drift-diffusion based simulations including a luminescent coupling term in the continuity equation show a broadening of the internal quantum efficiency curve which agrees well with experimental measurements. Luminescent coupling is shown to expand the spectral bandwidth of the phototransducer by a factor of at least 3.5 for devices with three or more junctions, even in cases where multiple absorption/emission events are required to transfer excess carriers into the limiting junction. We present a detailed description of the novel luminescent coupling modeling technique used to predict these performance enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed investigations of the quadratic nonlinear response of a series of new polyimides with covalently attached chromophore DR13 are performed by the Maker fringes method in the range of fundamental wavelength from 850 to 1450 nm. Polymer films with thickness of 100–400 nm were spin-coated on glass substrates and corona poled. For these materials, the maximum values of the second harmonic generation coefficients d33 are 80-120 pm/V. A red shift of the nonlinear response dispersion with respect to the linear absorption spectrum was observed for the DR13 chromophore. The temperature dependences of linear absorption and nonlinear coefficients d33 for studied structures are observed. It was found that the temperature changes of the absorption spectra lead to appreciable contribution to the value of the nonlinear coefficient d33. The demonstrated high temperature stability (up to 120 °C) of chromophore-containing polyimide thin films makes it possible to eliminate the degradation of their nonlinear optical properties in the future applications of such structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the excitonic properties of layered configurations of low dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (LTMDCs) using the fractional dimensional space approach. The binding energies of the exciton, trion, and biexciton in LTMDCs of varying layers are analyzed, and linked to the dimensionality parameter α, which provides insight into critical electro-optical properties (relative oscillator strength, absorption spectrum, exciton-exciton interaction) of the material systems. The usefulness of α is highlighted by its independence of the physical mechanisms underlying the confinement effects of geometrical structures. Our estimates of the binding energies of exciton complexes for the monolayer configuration of transition metal dichalcogenides suggest a non-collinear structure for the trion and a positronium-molecule-like square structure for the biexciton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for measuring spin currents is proposed, based on the linear electro-optic (Pockels) effect caused by the additional second-order nonlinear electric susceptibility (electro-optic tensor) generated by the spin currents. The non-zero elements of electro-optic tensor induced by spin currents in GaAs crystal are calculated, and the wave coupling theory of linear electro-optic effect is used to analyze the polarization change of a probe beam. The numerical results show that, for a linearly polarized probe beam with a frequency close to the band gap of GaAs crystal, its polarization rotation can be as large as 14 lrad under an applied electric field of about 350V/mm. This effect should offer an alternative detection method for spintronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide corner mirror (WCM) structure, with the quantum process of a frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) phenomenon and the time delay principle in the two-dimensional potential barrier tunneling process of a mass of particles, we derive an accurate physical model for the Goos-Hanchen (GH) shift of optical guided-mode in the FTIR process, and in principle match the GH shift jumping states with the independent guided-modes. Then, we propose and demonstrate a new regime of 1 × N digital optical switches with a matching state between the free-carrier dispersion (FCD) based refractive index modulation (RIM) of silicon to create a GH shift jumping function of a photonic signal at the reflecting interface and the independent guided-modes in the FTIR process, where a MOS-capacitor type electro-optic modulation regime is proposed and discussed to realize an effective FCD-based RIM. At the critical matching state, i.e., the incident of an optical beam is at the vicinity of Brewster angle in the WCM, a mini-change of refractive index of waveguide material can cause a great jump of GH shift along the FTIR reflecting interface, and further a 1 × N digital optical switching process could be realized. For a 350-500 nm single-mode rib waveguide made on the 220 nm CMOS-compatible SOI substrate and with the FCD effect based RIM of silicon crystal, a concentration variation of 1018-1019 cm-3 has caused a 0.5-2.5 μm GH shift of reflected beam, which is at 2-5 times of a mode-size and hence radically convinces an optical switching function with a 1 × 3-1 × 10 scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The societal impact of liquid crystals (LCs) in electrooptical displays arrived after decades of research involving molecular-level design of LCs and their alignment layers, and elucidation of LC electrooptical phenomena at device scales. The anisotropic optical, mechanical and dielectric properties of LCs used in displays also make LCs remarkable amplifiers of their interactions with chemical and biological species, thus opening up the possibility that LCs may play an influential role in a data-driven society that depends on information coming from sensors. In this article, we describe ongoing efforts to design LC systems tailored for chemical and biological sensing, efforts that mirror the challenges and opportunities in LC design and alignment tackled several decades ago during development of LC electrooptical displays. Now, however, traditional design approaches based on structure–property relationships are being supplemented by data-driven methods such as machine learning. Recent studies also show that computational chemistry can greatly increase the rate of discovery of chemically responsive LC systems. Additionally, non-equilibrium states of LCs are being revealed to be useful for design of biological sensors and more complex autonomous systems that integrate self-regulated actuation along with sensing. These topics and others are addressed in this article with the aim of highlighting approaches and goals for future research that will realise the full potential of LC-based sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated optical computing has the potential to enhance the computation abilities in terms of computing speed and power consumption during the post-Moore's law era. As one of the widely investigated approaches, electro-optic logic uses electro-optic switches as the building blocks to achieve complex functions. In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a multioperand electro-optic logic gate that contains multiple active regions in a single gate to further increase the versatility of gates. Thus, one gate can be controlled by several electrical inputs simultaneously. The ability of multioperand logic gates is thoroughly explored. The detailed comparison shows that the proposed gate can largely improve the circuit performance in terms of the area, latency, power, and insertion loss. We believe the multioperand logic gate has the potential to contribute to a more compact and power-efficient integrated optical computing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesteric liquid crystals with long pitch confined in homeotropic cells can be used to generate stable but distorted and localized liquid crystal structures exhibiting spherulitic textures, known as 'bubbles.' As these bubbles can be induced by an external electric field with a narrow range following the confinement ratio C=d/p ≈1 (d representing cell thickness and p representing cholesteric pitch), it is possible to obtain electrically controlled micro-lenses. Here we investigated the optical and electro-optical properties of such liquid crystal bubbles for creating an array of micro-lenses with electrically tunable focal length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxyribonucleic acid based gel solid electrolytes were prepared and their electric properties were characterized. Their ionic conductivity is in the range of 10-4-10-5 S/cm at room temperature and increases linearly in function of temperature, obeying an Arrhenius-like relationship. The present study, combined with the literature data, suggests that the electrical conduction mechanism in these membranes involve ion motion and/or charge hopping, promoted most likely by a significant interaction between the membrane components. The good conductivity results, as found here, together with the good transparency and good adhesion to the electrodes show that the DNA-based gel polymer electrolytes are very promising materials for application in various electrochromic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is shown that the formation of water at the surface of protonated LiNbO3 can lead to the precipitation of disordered phases, causing undesirable degradation of the electro-optic properties of the material. These structural defects are observed to increase the conductivity, which leads to a slow build-up of space charges, believed to be a key reason for voltage bias drifts in LiNbO3 electro-optic devices. Annealing under a controlled partial pressure of water vapor is shown to minimize such damage to the crystal lattice. An additional reverse exchange process is proposed that further improves the stability of the crystal and its electro-optic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to estimate electro-optical response times, measurements of the transmitted light intensity through positive uniaxial nematic thin films in planar alignment have been performed. Very fast relaxation times were experimentally found for nematic samples aligned with conductive polymers, namely, polypyrrole doped with 5 types of anions having different molecular sizes and geometries. Using undoped polypyrrole alignment layers, slower electro-optical responses were obtained. Given that the improvement in the relaxation times is induced by the presence of the anions in the polypyrrole films, the increasing of the total restoring torque of the nematic molecules to the confining surfaces-responsible for the short relaxation times-is related to the charges accumulated at the nematic-conductive polymer interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the electro-optic properties and high-frequency relative dielectric constants of epitaxially grown lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) and polycrystalline barium titanate (BaTiO3) films in a high-frequency range of up to 40 GHz for designing a high-speed ferroelectric thin-film modulator. We also demonstrate a ferroelectric thin-film Mach-Zehnder-type waveguide modulator using the epitaxially grown PLZT film. The use of a composite structure with a low dielectric coefficient substrate and a buffer layer enabled of a ferroelectric thin-film waveguide modulator with 40-Gb/s operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanowires show a large potential for various electro-optical devices, such as light emitting diodes, solar cells, and nanowire lasers. We present a method developed to calculate the modal reflection and transmission matrix at the end facets of a waveguide of arbitrary cross-section, resulting in a generalized version of the Fresnel equations. The reflection can be conveniently computed using fast Fourier transforms once the waveguide modes are known. We demonstrate that the reflection coefficient is qualitatively described by two main parameters: the modal field confinement and the average Fresnel reflection of the plane waves constituting the waveguide mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a design of a tunable optical isolator. The electro-optic (EO) effects in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) with a defect were studied. EO effects and second harmonic generation (SHG) allow three-wave coupling in this nonlinear optics process. A defect is inserted in an asymmetrical position in PPLN to break the reciprocity of the fundamental-wave transmission in two reversed propagating directions. We numerically demonstrated that the contrast of this optical isolator can be tuned from -1 to 1 by simply changing the external dc electric field. With EO effects, the position of the defect can be designed more flexibly maintaining a high contrast of the optical isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 [x=0.52, PZT(52) near morphotropic phase boundary], tetragonal PZT(65), and rhombohedral PZT(20) thin films have been fabricated on different transparent substrates by radio frequency sputtering. The optical studies show that the band gap energies and refractive indices of the PZT thin films are crystal phase dependent. The largest electro-optic (EO) coefficient of 219.6 pm/V has been achieved by controlling the crystal phase of the PZT thin films. The linear EO coefficients of PZT(52) films on the (Pb0.86La0.14)TiO3-coated glass, indium tin oxides, and MgO substrates are also studied. Such study could contribute to the crystal phase and substrate dependent PZT films for electro-optic devices and multifunctional integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CdGa2Se4 layers were grown by the hot-wall epitaxy method. From the absorption measurement, the band-gap variation in CdGa2Se4 was well interpreted using Varshni's equation. After the postannealing in various ambient, the behavior of point defects in CdGa2Se4 was investigated by measuring photoluminescence (PL). Point defects originating from VCd, VSe, Cdint, and/or Seint were classified as donor or acceptor types. Thus, the Ga in CdGa2Se4 did not form native defects because the Ga existed in the form of stable bonds in CdGa2Se4. Based on these PL results, we schemed out a band diagram of the recombination process in CdGa2Se4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planarly aligned cholesteric liquid crystals of short pitch were applied by the in-plane electric field. The reorientation of the director, increasing pitch, and flexoelectricity induce the change of transmission. The main effect in this research is due to the director reorientation along the electric field. The flexoelectricity deters the change in the birefringence induced by the dielectric response. The response was very fast for the effectively thin periodic boundary of the half-pitch of liquid crystal. The contrast ratio was more than 80 for red light and the response time was less than 0.1 ms for the experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report the electro-optic characterization of two homologous series of low molar mass bimesogenic siloxane-containing liquid crystals. The materials used have two alkoxycyanobiphenyl mesogenic units with variable alkyl chain joined by a two- or five-siloxane moiety and all exhibit stable smectic A mesophases over wide temperature ranges (up to 100 °C wide). Due to their inherent ruggedness these materials have potential for use in polarizer-free, bistable, scattering display and storage devices. The bistable modes are at low and high frequencies. The low frequency mode (write) is a highly scattering focal conic texture resulting from electrohydrodynamic instabilities while the high frequency mode (erase) is a clear state due to dielectric reorientation of the material. Both modes are preserved upon removal of the applied electric field. We present threshold voltages as a function of temperature, frequency, and cell thickness and response times as a function of voltage for each of the bistable modes. We find reduced threshold voltages (5<=Vth<=12 V/μm) and response times that are strongly dependent on applied voltage (50 ms<=τ<=10 s). These operating conditions would suggest that these materials are particularly suitable for slow update, large area, low power information panels and displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO thin films were epitaxially deposited on platinum/c-sapphire epitaxial layer using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. Xe, rather than Ar, was used as the sputtering gas. The leakage current as well as dielectric loss was suppressed upon use of Xe. Moreover, the full width at half maximum ω scan and surface morphology were improved by using Xe. These improvements are attributed to the fact that damage to the films during deposition using Xe is less than that upon the use of Ar. The electro-optical (EO) effect was evaluated by reflection configuration. ZnO films prepared with Ar showed no EO response. However, films prepared with Xe show a linear response of change in the birefringence with the electric field. The EO coefficient (rc) was evaluated as 0.2 pm/V. In order to reduce the leakage current and further improve the EO property, Mn was doped to the ZnO films prepared with Xe. As a result, the leakage current was eight orders of magnitude less than that of the undoped film. The dielectric loss was also reduced. Additionally, the frequency dispersion of dielectric loss was suppressed. Therefore, the space charge in the films is thought to be reduced by using Xe and doping with Mn. As a result of suppression of space charges, an rc of 2.2 pm/V was achieved. This value is close to that of the single crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsivity measurements are reported for LiNbO3 electro-optic field sensors operated under applied electric fields at ac frequencies in the vicinity of the acoustic resonance values of the crystals. At these frequencies, piezoelectric effects dominate the sensor output. These resonance effects are well known and commonly considered parasitic. However, we propose their use as a sensitivity-enhancing mechanism for electric-field detection. We have found that our field sensors operated within these resonances responded linearly with the applied field strength and exhibited increases in their intrinsic sensitivities as high as 350 times larger than their normal, electro-optic values. Our modeling of the data suggests that the sensitivity enhancements are produced by the interplay between photoelastic shifts in the refractive indices and the physical vibration modes of the crystals. Aside from narrowband applications, these resonant enhancements can be exploited with fields at frequencies well beyond the narrow bandwidth of the acoustic resonance, if the fields are properly modulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motion of highly dielectric polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) flakes suspended in a host fluid can be controlled with an ac electric field. The electric field acts to induce a dipole moment on the flake due to interfacial, or Maxwell–Wagner, polarization. Theoretical modeling of PCLC flakes as oblate spheroids shows that the flakes will reorient to align one of the two major axes parallel to the electric field. The theory also supports the observed dependence of the particle reorientation time on the electric-field magnitude, frequency, and particle shape. A PCLC flake’s orientation determines its ability to reflect light of a specific wavelength and circular polarization. The ability to switch the position of PCLC flakes with an electric field has implications for electro-optic devices and display applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Q-tensor method is used to model a grating-aligned zenithally bistable nematic device in two dimensions. The flexoelectrically driven switching between the two ground states is shown to occur through the creation and annihilation of pairs of defects, and the sign and magnitude of the voltage thresholds demonstrated to depend on the relative dielectric permittivity of the grating material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model of space-charge formation in photorefractive polymers due to Schildkraut and Buettner has been modified to include thermally accessible deep traps as well as shallow traps. The dynamic equations have been solved semiempirically using independent measurements of photoconductive properties to predict photorefractive dynamics. Dependencies of the dynamics on charge generation, mobility, trap density, acceptor density, ionized acceptor density, as well as their associated rates are examined. The magnitude of the fast time constant of photorefractive development is successfully predicted. The introduction of deep traps into the model has allowed us to qualitatively predict the reduction in speed due to deep trap filling and ionized acceptor growth. Experimental studies of photoconductivity and photorefraction (PR) in several polyvinyl carbazole photorefractive composites are carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the model. By choosing chromophores with different ionization potentials and by varying the chromophore concentrations, we investigate the influence of the chromophore ionization potential on the photoelectric and PR properties and reveal the nature of deep traps in the composites and their contribution to both photoconductivity and PR dynamics. Effects of plasticizer components are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of an investigation of the electro-optical response for a hybrid twisted nematic (HTN) liquid crystal display. The device used both a hybrid alignment and a twisted director configuration. In comparison with the conventional twisted nematic mode, a faster response and a smaller operation voltage were obtained by using an appropriate amount of chiral dopant. The characteristics of the HTN cells were dependent on cell parameters such as the chemical nature of the polymer alignment layer, the cell thickness, the set twist angle, and the concentration of chiral dopant. Response times of 1.0 ms for turn-on and 16 ms for turn-off were achieved by the regulation of cell parameters. Computer simulations of the director configuration demonstrated that twist deformation plays an important role in the determination of the response characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which proposed and demonstrated the design of an electrooptic polymer amplitude modulator. Technological steps for the fabrication of polymer-based devices; Concept of the polarization insensitive operation; Design and fabrication of the electrooptic polymer device; Conclusions.