Influence of long-lasting electric field on the formation of monodomain polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystals

Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) are emerging as a promising candidate for tunable three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals. Uniform monodomain BPLCs with a large temperature range are needed to achieve higher performance for photonic applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrated monodomain polymer stabilized blue phase liquid crystals (PS-BPLCs) induced by a long-lasting electric field. The PS-BPLCs with a single crystal orientation can be obtained with appropriate electrical treatment, and they also possess a large temperature range of 70 degrees C including room temperature. The physical mechanism behind their spectral properties, phase transition temperature, and the morphology of crystal growth process under different electric fields are investigated with detailed experimental analysis. This work helps further understanding of crystal nucleation and growth of PS-BPLCs in electric field and also can expedite the development of PS-BPLC based tunable 3D photonic crystal devices. Published under license by AIP Publishing.