Ferroelectric nematic materials for high-speed electro-optic applications

Xi Chen; Chirag Patel; Andrew Bradfield; Jason W. Sickler; Joseph E. Maclennan; Noel A. Clark; Matthew A. Glaser; Cory Pecinovsky

doi:10.1117/12.3017183

18 June 2024 Ferroelectric nematic materials for high-speed electro-optic applications

Xi Chen, Chirag Patel, Andrew Bradfield, Jason W. Sickler, Joseph E. Maclennan, Noel A. Clark, Matthew A. Glaser, Cory Pecinovsky

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13016, Liquid Crystals Optics and Photonic Devices; 1301606 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3017183
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2024, Strasbourg, France

Abstract

Recently discovered ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals (FNLCs) offer the opportunity to make liquid crystalbased, high-speed electro-optic devices. The lack of a center of symmetry combined with having the polar axis oriented parallel to the long, polarizable molecular axis allows for large second-order nonlinear optical susceptibility and therefore a large Pockels effect. The electro-optic response at high frequencies is purely electronic, making possible high-speed modulators with bandwidths limited only by device architecture. Facile and thermodynamically stable alignment of the polar axis over large areas makes FNLCs an attractive alternative to organic crystals and poled polymers, which have been pursued for decades as Pockels materials. A novel methodology for characterizing the electro-optic coefficient (r33) of this new class of Pockels material was developed. Using this methodology, FNLCs engineered to have large nonlinearities were demonstrated to have r33 values approaching that of lithium niobate.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Xi Chen, Chirag Patel, Andrew Bradfield, Jason W. Sickler, Joseph E. Maclennan, Noel A. Clark, Matthew A. Glaser, and Cory Pecinovsky "Ferroelectric nematic materials for high-speed electro-optic applications", Proc. SPIE 13016, Liquid Crystals Optics and Photonic Devices, 1301606 (18 June 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3017183

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