Azimuthal anchoring energy of liquid crystals aligned using laser-ablated gratings in polyimide

Christopher J. Newsome; Mary O'Neill; Robert J. Farley; Guy P. Bryan-Brown

doi:10.1117/12.304542

1 April 1998 Azimuthal anchoring energy of liquid crystals aligned using laser-ablated gratings in polyimide

Christopher J. Newsome, Mary O'Neill, Robert J. Farley, Guy P. Bryan-Brown

Proceedings Volume 3297, Liquid Crystal Materials, Devices, and Applications VI; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.304542
Event: Photonics West '98 Electronic Imaging, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Gratings etched into polyimde thin layers are used to align nematic liquid crystals. The gratings are prepared by illumination of a 1.1 micrometer period phase mask with a KrF excimer laser at 248 nm. Fluences of 87 mJ cm^-2 and 128 mJ cm^-2 with one and two shots were used to ablate the gratings. Modelling of the fluence distribution behind the phase mask predicts a grating period equal to that of the phase mask and this is found experimentally. The amplitudes of the gratings are obtained from diffraction using a HeNe laser and are between 100 nm and 150 nm deep. The alignment layers are used in twisted nematic cells and the azimuthal anchoring energy is measured as a function of grating fabrication conditions. Anchoring energies of the order of 10^-5 J m^-2 are found in agreement with the Berreman theory.

Citation Download Citation

Christopher J. Newsome, Mary O'Neill, Robert J. Farley, and Guy P. Bryan-Brown "Azimuthal anchoring energy of liquid crystals aligned using laser-ablated gratings in polyimide", Proc. SPIE 3297, Liquid Crystal Materials, Devices, and Applications VI, (1 April 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.304542

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