Dielectric heating effects of dual-frequency liquid crystals

Abstract

A noncontact birefringence probing method is developed to monitor the temperature rise of dual-frequency liquid crystals (DFLCs) due to the dielectric heating effect. This method allows us to determine the temperature change accurately without using a thermocouple. The dielectric heating effects of three DFLC mixtures are investigated quantitatively. By properly choosing the molecular structures, the dielectric heating effect can be minimized while keeping other desirable physical properties uncompromised.