Photoinduced broadening of cholesteric liquid crystal reflectors

The selective reflection of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) is well-known and has been utilized in a number of dynamic optical applications. This work presents a novel approach to passively (e.g., all-optically) cue reflection notch broadening in photoresponsive CLC formulations based on high helical twisting power (HTP) bis(azo) chiral dopants. The original reflection bandwidth of approximately 100 nm is increased to as much as 1700 nm, by exposing 36 μ m thick cells to UV light. The maximum attainable bandwidth is shown to be a function of cell thickness, light intensity, and strongly related to the HTP of the photoresponsive chiral dopants. An all-optical technique of simultaneous UV and green light exposure is demonstrated to trap the reflection notch at a predetermined position and bandwidth.