Molecular alignment of axially-symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystals

An axially-symmetric sheared polymer network liquid crystal (AS-SPNLC) device is demonstrated and its performances characterized. The formation mechanism of the AS-SPNLC is investigated by observing the dynamic pattern change of the structure during the fabrication process. We also analyze the structure from the electro-optic properties and then construct a simulation model to explain the observed phenomena. Several potential applications, such as tunable-focus negative lens and spatial polarization converter, are discussed.