Topology-mediated electro-optical behaviour of a wide-temperature liquid crystalline amorphous blue phase

Abstract

A wide-temperature liquid crystalline amorphous blue phase based on polymer network stabilization exhibits high thermodynamic stability with an extended temperature ranging from a few °C to more than 80 °C (including room temperature). Analyses using confocal laser scanning microscopy show that the polymer network imitates the aperiodic disclination-entangled structure of an amorphous blue phase and involves a highly intertwined interaction with liquid crystal molecules. The stabilized amorphous blue phase manifests a tens of microseconds response time, a consistent achromatic dark state and it is intrinsically hysteresis-free during the application of an electric field. The topological and electro-optical features of the stabilized amorphous blue phase are further compared with the stabilized isotropic and cubic blue phases. These results not only provide a physical perspective on the electro-optical response of a liquid crystal and polymer composite but also open up a new direction for electro-optical device applications.