Dynamic response of a polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystal

Fast response time is the most attractive feature of polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystals (PS-BPLCs). We have investigated the dynamic response of a PS-BPLC under various electric fields and found that the response time becomes slower as the applied electric field exceeds a critical field. Further analyses of experimental data reveal that two relaxation processes are involved. Possible mechanism is proposed to explain the behavior of each process. These results provide useful guidelines for achieving fast response time without hysteresis. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3694733]