Light-Driven Fabrication of a Chiral Photonic Lattice of the Helical Nanofilament Liquid Crystal Phase

A photonic lattice is an efficient platform for optically exploring quantum phenomena. However, its fabrication requires high costs and complex procedures when conventional materials, such as silicon or metals, are used. Here, we demonstrate a simple and costeffective fabrication method for a reconfigurable chiral photonic lattice of the helical nanofilament (HNF) liquid crystal (LC) phase and diffraction grating showing wavelength-dependent diffraction with a rotated polarization state. Furthermore, the UV-exposed areas of the HNF film having chiral characteristics act as optical building blocks that induce resonant intensity modulation in the reflectance and transmittance modes and the optical rotation of the linear polarization. Our photonic lattice of the HNF can be an efficient platform for a chirality-embedded photonic lattice at a low cost.

Automated summary

A photonic lattice is an efficient platform for exploring quantum phenomena, but traditional fabrication methods using conventional materials are costly and complex. This study demonstrates a simple and cost-effective fabrication method for a reconfigurable chiral photonic lattice using helical nanofilament liquid crystal phase and diffraction grating.