Large Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystals Based on Monocrystalline Liquid Crystal Blue Phases (Postprint)
Abstract
Although there have been intense efforts to fabricate large three-dimensional photonic crystals in order to realize their full potential, the technologies developed so far are still beset with various material processing and cost issues. Conventional top-down fabrications are costly and time-consuming, whereas natural self-assembly and bottom-up fabrications often result in high defect density and limited dimensions. Here we report the fabrication of extraordinarily large monocrystalline photonic crystals by controlling the self-assembly processes which occur in unique phases of liquid crystals that exhibit three-dimensional photonic-crystalline properties called liquid-crystal blue phases. In particular, we have developed a gradient temperature technique that enables three-dimensional photonic crystals to grow to lateral dimensions of ~ 1 cm (~ 30,000s of unit cells) and thickness of ~ 100 microns (~ 300 unit cells). These giant single crystals exhibit extraordinarily sharp photonic bandgaps with high reflectivity, long-range periodicity in all dimensions and well-defined lattice orientation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 28, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1042093
Entities
People
- Cheng-chang Li
- Cheng-yu Wang
- Chien-tsung Hou
- Ching-lang Hong
- Chun-Ta Wang
- Chun-Wei Chen
- Duan-yi Guo
- Hung-chang Jau
- Iam-choon Khoo
- Shen-ping Chiang
- Timothy J. Bunning
- Tsung-Hsien Lin