Elastic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal electrooptic transducers

The paper presents electrooptic properties of PDLC films obtained by photopolymerization-induced phase separation in different conditions and deposited on elastic substrates having different resistivity. The effect of the curing rate on the morphology of PDLC composite was confirmed. The faster is curing the lower is diameter of liquid crystal droplets and consequently switching voltages are higher and switching times are shorter. Choosing the proper liquid crystalline mixture for given polymer matrix one should take into account optical and dielectric properties, moreover solubility of mixture components in cured polymer matrix as well as their surface tension with respect to partly cured prepolymer. Both latter features can affect liquid crystal droplet shape and effective clearing point. It was shown that the resistivity of conducting layer of the elastic substrates can affect the morphology of the PDLC composite and consequently its electrooptic characteristics.