Issue 45, 2017

Beam steering by liquid crystal elastomer fibres

Abstract

The problem of utilizing a laser beam as an information vehicle and dividing it into different channels is an open problem in the telecommunication field. The switching of a signal into different ports has been demonstrated, to date, by employing complex devices and mechanisms such as the electro optic effect, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors, or liquid crystal-based spatial light modulators (SLMs). We present here a simple device, namely a mirror held by a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibre, as an optically and remotely driven beam steerer. In fact, a considered signal (laser beam) can be addressed in every in-plane direction by controlling the fibre and mirror rotation, i.e., the deflected probe beam angle. Such movement is possible due to the preparation of LCE fibres able to rotate and contract under a selective light stimulus. By adjusting the irradiation stimulus power, elastic fibres are able to rotate with a specific angle, performing more than one complete revolution around their axis. The described movement is perfectly reversible as soon as the stimulus is removed.

Graphical abstract: Beam steering by liquid crystal elastomer fibres

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Thg10 2017
Accepted
22 Thg10 2017
First published
23 Thg10 2017

Soft Matter, 2017,13, 8590-8596

Beam steering by liquid crystal elastomer fibres

S. Nocentini, D. Martella, D. S. Wiersma and C. Parmeggiani, Soft Matter, 2017, 13, 8590 DOI: 10.1039/C7SM02063E

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