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US 2010/0302470 A1Published application
Planar nematic liquid crystal cells doped with nanoparticles and methods of inducing a freedericksz transition
AssigneeUniversity of Manitoba
InventorsTorsten Hegmann, Brandy Melissa Kinkead
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Abstract
Nematic liquid crystal cells with positive dielectric anisotropy that include colloidal suspensions having nanoclusters (e.g., CdTe nanoclusters, CdSe nanoclusters) that include a pure monolayer of ligands are provided as well as methods of inducing Freedericksz transitions in the nematic liquid crystal cells and methods of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal.
Claims33
A planar nematic liquid crystal cell comprising:
- a colloidal suspension comprising:
- a nematic liquid crystal with positive dielectric anisotropy;
- and
- nanoclusters comprising a monolayer of organic ligands, wherein the nanoclusters comprise cadmium selenide nanoclusters and/or cadmium telluride nanoclusters, and the monolayer comprises a single type of ligand;
- and
- one or more optional alignment layers.
3 more elements
A method of inducing a Freedericksz transition, the method comprising:
- providing a planar nematic liquid crystal cell comprising:
- a colloidal suspension comprising:
- a nematic liquid crystal with positive dielectric anisotropy;
- and
- nanoclusters comprising a monolayer of organic ligands, wherein the nanoclusters comprise cadmium selenide nanoclusters and/or cadmium telluride nanoclusters, and the monolayer comprises a single type of ligand;
- and
- one or more optional alignment layers;
- and
- applying an electric field across the cell to reorient the liquid crystal molecules, wherein the electric field is above the threshold field.
6 more elements
A method of controlling the alignment of a liquid crystal, the method comprising:
- filling a liquid crystal cell comprising one or more optional alignment layers with a mixture that comprises an isotropic liquid crystal and nanoclusters, wherein the nanoclusters comprise a monolayer of organic ligands, and wherein the nanoclusters comprise cadmium selenide nanoclusters and/or cadmium telluride nanoclusters, and the monolayer comprises a single type of ligand;
- and
- cooling the mixture below the liquid crystal isotropic-nematic phase transition temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.