Swinging nematic liquid crystals and method for making

• Main Authors: Evans, Dean R, Bunning, Timothy J, Tabiryan, Nelson V, Idehenre, Ighodalo U
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.03.2021
• Subjects: CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; PRINTED CIRCUITS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF

A spectrally-selective reflective optical film comprises at least two anisotropic layers, each of the layers having a phase retardation value and an optical axis orientation pattern within the layer; the optical axis orientation patterns exhibiting a discontinuity at the boundary of the at least two layers; and at least one substrate holding the film. At least a part of the anisotropic layers may be chiral. The materials comprising the anisotropic layers may be selected from liquid crystal polymers, azobenzene liquid crystal polymers, liquid crystals, azobenzene liquid crystals, polymer films with stressed birefringence, and combinations thereof. The materials comprising the anisotropic layers may be doped with at least one dopant from the list comprising nanorods, photorefractive nanoparticles, photovoltaic nanoparticles, lasing dyes, and combinations of thereof. The anisotropic layers may be transparent to infrared wavelengths. The anisotropic layers may be arranged in a periodic pattern of retardation values, including zero.