Dow Corning Corporation

Cambridge Enterprise Limited

Mykhaylo Pivnenko

Harry J Coles

Jonathan Hannington

William Alden Crossland

Martin Grasmann

Terry Clapp

Fumito Nishida

Anthony Bernard Davey

Huan Xu

Omar Farooq

Oliver Hadeler

Daping Chu

Russell Keith King

Neil Collings

Brian Robertson

John Richard Moore

Russel Keith King

Jonathan Paul Hannington

Terry Victor Clapp

Harry James Coles

We describe methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. A method of manipulating an optical signal comprises providing a device () comprising a layer () of blue phase liquid crystal in the path of the optical signal; and applying a dynamically varying spatial pattern of voltages across the layer () of blue phase liquid crystal, thereby causing the refractive index of the layer () of blue phase liquid crystal to vary according the dynamically varying spatial pattern.

Optical device and methods

A liquid crystal formulation is described. The liquid crystal formulation comprises a first oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material; and at least one additional material selected from a second oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material, non-liquid crystalline oligosiloxane-modified materials, organic liquid crystalline materials, or non-liquid crystalline materials, wherein the liquid crystal formulation has an I&#x2192;SmA*&#x2192;SmC* phase transition, with a SmC* temperature range from about 15&#xb0; C. to about 35&#xb0; C., a tilt angle of about 22.5&#xb0;&#xb1;6&#xb0; or about 45&#xb0;&#xb1;6&#xb0;, a spontaneous polarization of less than about 50 nC/cm2., and a rotational viscosity of less than about 600 cP. Devices containing liquid crystal formulations are also described. The device has a stable bookshelf geometry, bistable switching, and isothermal electric field alignment, a response time of less than 500 &#x3bc;s when switched between two stable states, and an electric drive field of less than about 30 V/&#x3bc;m.

Oligosiloxane modified liquid crystal formulations and devices using same

A liquid crystal formulation is described. The liquid crystal formulation comprises a first oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material; and at least one additional material selected from a second oligosiloxane-modified nano-phase segregating liquid crystalline material, non-liquid crystalline oligosiloxane-modified materials, organic liquid crystalline materials, or organic non-liquid crystalline materials, wherein the liquid crystal formulation is nano-phase segregated in the SmC* phase, has an I&#x2192;SmC* phase transition, with a SmC* temperature range from about 15&#xb0; C. to about 35&#xb0; C., has a tilt angle of about 22.5&#xb0;&#xb1;6&#xb0; or about 45&#xb0;&#xb1;6&#xb0;, and has a spontaneous polarization of less than about 50 nC/cm2, and a rotational viscosity of less than about 600 cP. Devices containing liquid crystal formulations are also described. The device has a stable bookshelf geometry, bistable switching, and isothermal electric field alignment, a response time of less than 500 &#x3bc;s when switched between two stable states, and an electric drive field of less than about 30 V/&#x3bc;m.

A blue phase liquid crystalline material comprising a mixture comprising at least one bimesogenic compound and at least one chiral compound, wherein the material is capable of stable existence in the blue phase over a temperature range of at least 5&#xb0; C. A process for the preparation of the above blue phase liquid crystalline material, an optical device comprising it, a process of mirrorless lasing and a slotted monolithic optical waveguide using it are also disclosed.

Liquid crystal materials

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Mykhaylo Pivnenko