Electro-optic liquid crystal device employing two-dimensional WSe2 as the planar-alignment layers
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) nanosheets were transferred onto indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass slides. Two such 2D WSe2-covered ITO glass slides were placed together to fabricate an electro-optic liquid crystal (LC) cell. A nematic LC inside this WSe2-based device obtains uniform planar-alignment. The coherent overlay of the LC molecules along the armchair direction on the WSe2 lattice leads to this planar-alignment at the molecular scale. This WSe2-based LC device exhibits the typical electro-optical effect on the application of an electric field. A sharp Fréedericksz transition of the nematic director from this electro-optical effect confirms that the 2D WSe2 provides sufficient planar anchoring energy in the device. Finally, the WSe2/ITO slide exhibits more optical transparency than a standard polyimide alignment layer/ITO slide.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- May 18, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1364/ome.393296
Entities
People
- Lukas J. Atwood
- Rajratan Basu
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Naval Academy