A large Kerr constant polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal

Abstract

A polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) composite with a large Kerr constant (K∼13.7 nm/V2) is developed and its electro-optic properties characterized. In addition to the reduced operating voltage, this BPLC also exhibits a fast response time (∼1 ms), high contrast ratio (>1000:1), and relatively small hysteresis (<6%). It will undoubtedly accelerate the emergence of BPLC for next-generation display and photonic devices.