Improved Kerr constant and response time of polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal with a reactive diluent

A polymer-stabilized (PS) blue phase liquid crystal (BPLC) with fast response time and large Kerr constant is investigated by doping a low molecular weight monomer (N-vinylpyrrollidone) into a conventional PS-BPLC consisting of BPLC, RM257, and 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane triacrylate. With this polymer network system, Kerr constant and the response can be improved simultaneously. Compared to the conventional PS-BPLC, Kerr constant of the proposed PS-BPLC can increase by 54% and the response time can decrease by 23% at the same time. The contrast ratio can be kept at a high level, over 1000: 1 at k 633 nm. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4793416]