Dual frequency operation of a blue phase liquid crystal

The authors demonstrate dual frequency switching in a cubic blue phase liquid crystal. The dual frequency blue phase was prepared by adding a strongly twisting chiral dopant to a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal mixture. The crossover frequency appeared at few hundred kHz in the blue phase, and sub-millisecond response was obtained for dual-frequency operation, which was comparable to conventional voltage operation. This new class of material is advantageous over conventional blue phases in polarization-independent phase modulation devices, since a larger lattice deformation can be obtained. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America