Article
Optics
Lin Zhu, Chun-Ting Xu, Peng Chen, Yi-Heng Zhang, Si-Jia Liu, Quan-Ming Chen, Shi-Jun Ge, Wei Hu, Yan-Qing Lu
Summary: This work proposes an innovative scheme based on opposite-chirality-coexisted superstructures to simultaneously modulate orthogonal circular polarization and achieve PB phase reversal. By refilling cholesteric liquid crystal into a washed-out polymer network with opposite chirality and delicate photo-patterned structures, specific optical phenomena can be efficiently generated.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kamil Orzechowski, Martyna Tupikowska, Olga Strzezysz, Ting-Mao Feng, Wei-Yuan Chen, Liang-Ying Wu, Chun-Ta Wang, Eva Oton, Michal M. Wojcik, Maciej Baginski, Piotr Lesiak, Wiktor Lewandowski, Tomasz R. Wolinski
Summary: It has been demonstrated that small achiral gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) decorated with liquid crystal-like ligands can enhance the chiral twist and thermal stability of blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs). The functionalization of Au NPs plays a critical role in the phase sequence of BPLCs.
Correction
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Sebastien Loranger, Yang Chen, Paul Roth, Michael H. Frosz, Gordon K. L. Wong, Philip St. J. Russell
Summary: The error in the dispersion relation affects Equation (3) and Fig. 2, but the conclusions of the paper remain unaffected.
JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kelum Perera, Ahlam Nemati, Elizabeth K. Mann, Torsten Hegmann, Antal Jakli
Summary: Research has shown that chiral-doped nematic liquid crystal films suspended in water exhibit biconvex lens shapes, altering geometric optical imaging. By adding chiral nanoparticles, microlenses made of chiral ligand liquid crystal can be formed with imaging capabilities and the ability to measure shape with only nanograms of nanoparticles. This approach may lead to tunable optical properties for microlens arrays due to the sensitivity of nanoparticles to external stimuli.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Optics
Sheng Liu, Shuxia Qi, Peng Li, Bingyan Wei, Peng Chen, Wei Hu, Yi Zhang, Xuetao Gan, Peng Zhang, Yanqing Lu, Zhigang Chen, Jianlin Zhao
Summary: The study demonstrates an analog of optical activity in free space using a specially designed liquid crystal element, which can be revoked by another element with the same structure. By switching the orientation of the optical element, equivalent leverotation and dextorotation can be achieved simultaneously, promising potential applications in non-magnetic optical devices like optical isolators.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alexander Ryabchun, Federico Lancia, Nathalie Katsonis
Summary: Nano- and micro-actuating systems have great potential in various applications, and light-responsive cholesteric liquid crystal networks can exhibit waving motion of surface topography upon irradiation, controlled by tuning the geometry of liquid crystal structures. This work demonstrates the possibility of using self-organizing systems to engineer dynamic materials with nanoscale precision.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Optics
Hlib Kupianskyi, Simon A. R. Horsley, David B. B. Phillips
Summary: Multi-plane light converters (MPLCs) are a new class of optical devices that can convert a set of input spatial light modes to a new target set of output modes. They have potential applications in optical communications, optical computing, and optical imaging. We investigated high mode capacity MPLCs and developed a new inverse-design algorithm for better light control in these devices. Experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of prototype few-plane high-dimensional spatial mode sorters. Our work points to a promising future for high-dimensional MPLC-based technologies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Minkyu Kim, Kellina Pierce, Michelle Krecker, Daria Bukharina, Katarina Adstedt, Dhriti Nepal, Timothy Bunning, Vladimir V. Tsukruk
Summary: Bioenabled crack-free chiral nematic films were successfully prepared using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in a capillary confinement with specific modifications. The modified CNC/TOPA/PEG films demonstrated improved mechanical performance, consistent vivid iridescence, and enhanced circular polarization. The addition of a small amount of TOPA proved to be crucial in achieving the best performance in preventing cracks.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Yu Wang, Shaohua Gao, Xinzheng Zhang, Hongyi Chen, Irena Drevensek-Olenik, Romano A. Rupp, Shu Chen, Jingjun Xu
Summary: The transfer matrix method is used to analyze light propagation in chiral media, discussing the change of polarization state of light with linear and circularly polarized components. Results show that this method is valuable for calculating dynamic transmission properties and constructing new photonic microstructures.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomoki Shigeyama, Kohsuke Matsumoto, Kyohei Hisano, Osamu Tsutsumi
Summary: Micro-sized chiral-nematic liquid crystal (N* LC) polymer particles have been synthesized with precise control over size polydispersity, and their reflective characteristics have been investigated. Monodisperse N* LC particles demonstrated distinct reflection bands with high CPL selectivity, while polydisperse particles exhibited broader reflection with lower CPL selectivity. Furthermore, multifunctional reflective colorants were produced by blending N* LC particles with varying reflection colors. These discoveries hold significant promise for advancing reflective colorants and anti-counterfeiting printing techniques utilizing micro-sized N* LC particles.
Article
Optics
Zhaoxiang Zhu, Yuanhui Wen, Jiaqi Li, Yujie Chen, Zenghui Peng, Jianxiong Li, Lei Zhu, Yunfei Wu, Lidan Zhou, Lin Liu, Liangjia Zong, Siyuan Yu
Summary: Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) devices provide precise and reconfigurable spatial light modulation, but they suffer from polarization-dependent response. To overcome this limitation, we propose and demonstrate an LCoS device with a polarization-rotating metasurface, achieving high-performance polarization-independent phase modulation. This device offers benefits in terms of configuration simplification and performance improvement for various applications.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Debottam Mandal, Kamal Das, Amit Agarwal
Summary: The recent discovery of the quantum nonlinear Hall effect has revived research in the field of nonlinear transport. In this study, the magnetic-field-induced nonlinear transport in time reversal symmetric Weyl semimetals is investigated. It is shown that the interplay of band-geometric quantities and the magnetic force can result in a finite nonlinear Hall conductivity that is linear in the magnetic field. Additionally, the chiral chemical potential is found to give rise to linear magnetic-field-dependent nonlinear longitudinal conductivities as well as nonlinear Hall conductivities.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jake L. Greenfield, Jessica Wade, Jochen R. Brandt, Xingyuan Shi, Thomas J. Penfold, Matthew J. Fuchter
Summary: The dissymmetric interaction between circularly polarised light and chiral molecules is important across various fields, but the selectivity in absorption or emission of left-handed versus right-handed CP light is often low. Strategies to enhance this interaction include molecular design, modification of light, and creating macroscopic chiral structures, offering hope for advancements in research involving interactions of chiral molecules and light.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xiao-Qian Wang, Alwin Ming-Wai Tam, Wei-Qiang Yang, Alexei D. D. Kiselev, Dong Shen, Vladimir Chigrinov, Hoi-Sing Kwok, Quan Li
Summary: The ability to achieve significant phase modulation at low applied field in liquid-crystal-based devices has promising applications in polarization control and wavefront shaping. This study demonstrates reflective wavefront shaping through geometric phase when circularly polarized light is Bragg reflected by a spatially orientated chiral layer, utilizing the polarization-selective reflectivity of chiral liquid crystals (CLCs). The introduction of a photosensitive chiral dopant enables the establishment of a hybrid aligned photoresponsive CLC system, which allows simultaneous light modulation of topological geometric phase and dynamic phase through helical pitch manipulation.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Junyu Zou, Ziqian He, Qian Yang, Kun Yin, Kun Li, Shin-Tson Wu
Summary: A large-diffraction-angle two-dimensional grating based on cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) is demonstrated, combining a polarization volume grating (PVG) and a CLC grating in the Raman-Nath regime. The conditions for the coexistence of CLC Raman-Nath grating (RNG) and PVG are analyzed, and the efficiency and grating period of the CLC RNG are characterized. The potential application of this 2D grating for expanding the eyebox of augmented reality displays is discussed.
Article
Optics
G. Nava, R. Barboza, F. Simoni, O. Iadlovska, O. D. Lavrentovich, L. Lucchetti
Summary: This study demonstrates the control of light polarization through the tuning of Bragg resonance in a heliconical cholesteric cell. The control can be achieved by varying the low-frequency electric field or the intensity of a pump beam. This research confirms the phenomenon of optical tuning in heliconical cholesterics and paves the way for the development of electrically or optically controlled polarization modulators.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raouf Barboza, Amin Babazadeh, Lorenzo Marrucci, Filippo Cardano, Corrado de Lisio, Vincenzo D'Ambrosio
Summary: The authors introduce a new optical encoding technique called linear photonic gears, which enables ultra-sensitive measurements of transverse displacements by mapping them into the polarization rotation of a laser beam. They argue that a resolution of 50 pm should be achievable with existing state-of-the-art technologies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Quantum Science & Technology
Chiara Esposito, Mariana R. Barros, Andres Duran Hernandez, Gonzalo Carvacho, Francesco Di Colandrea, Raouf Barboza, Filippo Cardano, Nicolo Spagnolo, Lorenzo Marrucci, Fabio Sciarrino
Summary: In this paper, we report the discrete-time quantum walk of two correlated photons in a two-dimensional lattice. The lattice is synthetically engineered by manipulating optical modes and mode-coupling is introduced via diffractive action of optical elements. The platform is compact, efficient, and scalable, making it a versatile tool for simulating quantum evolutions on complex lattices.
NPJ QUANTUM INFORMATION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Stefano Marni, Giovanni Nava, Raouf Barboza, Tommaso Giovanni Bellini, Liana Lucchetti
Summary: The motion of ferroelectric liquid sessile droplets deposited on a ferroelectric lithium niobate substrate can be controlled by a light beam of moderate intensity. The droplets are attracted or repelled depending on the side of the substrate exposed to light irradiation. Furthermore, moving the beam allows for long-distance movement of the droplets on the substrate, indicating the coupling between the droplet polarization and the polarization induced in the substrate.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marcel Gabriel Clerc, Alvaro Hugo Cornejo, Sebastian Echeverria-Alar, Gregorio Gonzalez-Cortes, Paulina Ivette Hidalgo, Patricio Javier Luo, Mauricio Javier Morel, Jorge Vergara, Mario Wilson
Summary: Chiral liquid crystal mixtures are important for their ability to produce optically active three-dimensional structures. This study investigates the phase transitions in a mixture of a chiral oxadiazole derivative liquid crystal and a traditional nematic liquid crystal. The properties of the mixture can be used to create various material functionalities depending on the composition.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
V. A. Pammi, M. G. Clerc, S. Coulibaly, S. Barbay
Summary: With model-free machine learning techniques, it is possible to forecast extreme event occurrences in incomplete experimental recordings from high-dimensional spatiotemporal chaotic systems. By selecting regions of maximum transfer entropy, it is possible to achieve higher forecasting accuracy and longer warning times using nonlocal data compared to local data.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sebastian Echeverria-Alar, Marcel G. Clerc, Ignacio Bordeu
Summary: Spatial branching processes are observed in chiral nematic liquid crystals, where a cholesteric phase self-organizes into extended branching patterns. We study the spatial and temporal organization of thermally driven branching patterns in chiral nematic liquid crystal cells experimentally, and describe the observations using a mean-field model.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Crystallography
Raouf Barboza, Sameh Bahwi, Stefano Marni, Liana Lucchetti
Summary: We studied the behavior of sessile ferroelectric liquid droplets near a pyroelectrically charged ferroelectric crystal without direct contact. The results showed that the polarizations of the fluid and solid materials are coupled, leading to two distinct effects: electromechanical instability of the droplets, resulting in the ejection of interfacial fluid jets, and slow motion of the droplets towards the ferroelectric solid due to dielectrophoretic force. These effects can potentially be separated based on the droplet size.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
M. Bataille-Gonzalez, M. G. Clerc, E. Knobloch, O. E. Omel'chenko
Summary: Systems of coupled nonlinear oscillators often exhibit states of partial synchrony, referred to as chimera states, in which some oscillators oscillate coherently while the rest remain incoherent. This study investigates stationary and moving chimera states in planar phase oscillator arrays using numerical simulations and the corresponding continuum limit. The results reveal the existence and properties of traveling spiral wave chimeras and the transition from stationary to moving chimeras, accompanied by the appearance of complex filamentary structures within the incoherent spiral wave core.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. Pinto-Ramos, M. G. Clerc, M. Tlidi
Summary: Research shows that in arid landscapes, the topological defects of migrating banded vegetation patterns decrease in space, which can be predicted through remote sensing data analysis and theoretical modeling. This contradicts previous understanding and also predicts the existence of constant distribution regions in vegetation patterns. This study is of great significance for predicting ecosystem collapse.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
S. Echeverria-Alar, D. Pinto-Ramos, M. Tlidi, M. G. Clerc
Summary: Self-organization is a common phenomenon in Nature, and the selection of wavelength is the key issue in pattern formation. In homogeneous conditions, various patterns such as stripes, hexagons, squares, and labyrinths can be observed. However, in systems with heterogeneous conditions, a single wavelength is not always present. This study investigates the emergence and persistence of vegetation labyrinthine patterns under deterministic heterogeneous conditions, and reveals the influence of heterogeneities on the regularity of labyrinthine self-organization.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
M. G. Clerc, S. Echeverria-Alar, L. A. Letelier, C. Nunez-Barra
Summary: Various out-of-equilibrium physical systems can exhibit concentric ring patterns, but these patterns are often unstable due to the interaction of spatial modes. This study demonstrates that concentric ring patterns are stable beyond Turing instability. Using a prototype pattern forming model, the researchers show that these solutions are stable and identify the main factors contributing to their stability: curvature, characteristic wavelength, and bistability. They also characterize the propagation of stable concentric ring patterns. Experimental observations in a dye-doped liquid crystal cell with high enough intensity confirm the formation of stable concentric ring patterns as predicted by the theoretical findings.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
M. G. Clerc, M. Ferre, R. Gajardo-Pizarro, V Zambra
Summary: Interaction between light beams and helical defects in optical materials can generate optical vortices, and understanding and manipulating the dynamics of helical defects allows for the creation of versatile sources of optical vortex beams. By using a magnetic ring on a nematic liquid crystal cell, helical defects identified as matter vortices were trapped. Oscillatory rotating and beating matter vortices were observed by applying a low-frequency voltage. The experimental observations determined the parameter range where these vortices are observed, and the amplitude of oscillatory rotating vortices decayed with the inverse of the voltage frequency. An adequate amplitude equation was proposed, which qualitatively agrees with the theoretical findings.
Correction
Chemistry, Physical
Federico Caimi, Giovanni Nava, Raouf Barboza, Noel A. Clark, Eva Korblova, David M. Walba, Tommaso Bellini, Liana Lucchetti
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Marcel G. Clerc, Gregorio Gonzalez-Cortes, Mauricio J. Morel, Paulina Hidalgo, Jorge Vergara
Summary: In this study, we observed the reorientation transition and front dynamics of finger fronts in the smectic-A phase of a liquid crystal mixture cell. Colorimetry characterization allowed us to describe the molecular reorientation transition and determine the front speed as a function of the applied voltage. Theoretical modeling showed good agreement with the experimental observations, providing insight into the bifurcation diagram and propagation speeds of finger fronts.
