Low voltage light switching of hybrid-type cell composed of (polymer/liquid crystal) composite system

Abstract

(Polymer/liquid crystal: LC) composite films consisting of a continuous LC phase embedded in a three-dimensional network of polymer matrix were prepared by a solvent-induced phase separation method. The (composite film/LC/composite film) hybrid laminar cell was applied for a novel light switching device by using the (poly(diisopropyl fumarate): Pdi-iPF/LC) composite systems as the composite films. A new type of cell geometry was proposed to achieve a low voltage drive for the light scattering-light transmission switching. The distribution ratio of an applied external electric field in the composite film layer and the LC one was calculated based on the series-connected dielectric composite model. The magnitude of an imposed electric field to the composite film layer was larger than an applied external one in the case that the absolute magnitude of the complex dielectric constant of LC was larger than that of the composite film. A remarkably low voltage driving for the electro-optical switching with reasonably fast rise and decay response times was realized for the new hybrid cell.