Electrically Tunable, Fully Solid Reflective Optical Elements
Abstract
Electrochromic devices have seen widespread adoption in the automotive and aerospace industries and are increasingly considered for applications in the built environment, such as smart windows. Here, a distinctive approach is reported to realizing electrochromism in solid, polymeric materials. The optical elements are based on liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) that retain the cholesteric phase (CLCEs). By integrating flexible, optically transparent, and conductive electrodes the CLCEs are actuated as dielectric elastomer actuators. Application of an electric field causes a significant change in the reflection wavelength of fully solid CLCE. The electromechanical response (Maxwell stresses) is reversible. Both uniaxial and biaxial prestrain are shown to enhance and differentiate the stimuli‐response in the photonic device.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 11, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1002/adom.202201457
Entities
People
- Alexis T Phillips
- Hayden E. Fowler
- Kyle R. Schlafmann
- Timothy White
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- National Science Foundation
- United States Department of Defense
- United States Department of Education
- University of Colorado