Glassy Liquid-Crystal Films with Opposite Chirality as High-Performance Optical Notch Filters and Reflectors

Abstract

Glass-forming liquid crystals combine the ability of liquid crystals to self-organize and that of polymers to undergo glass transition (instead of crystallization) upon cooling. Here is reported the synthesis and implementation of novel right- and left-handed chiral-nematic glass-forming liquid crystals in optical notch filters and reflectors, which have various applications in liquid-crystal displays. The observed attenuation of incident unpolarized light in 3.7 optical density units is the highest ever accomplished with organic and polymeric materials.