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Electrically tunable diffraction of light from 2D nematic colloidal crystals

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Abstract

We show that diffraction of visible light from 2D dipolar nematic colloidal crystals can be tuned electrically. When the external electric field of ∼ 1V/μm is applied in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the 2D colloidal crystal, the induced strain is highly anisotropic, and the inter-colloidal spacing changes by as much as 20% along one direction and ∼ 2% along the perpendicular one. Although the speed of response is in the range of several seconds, this novel mechanism could provide interesting photonic applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    M. Humar, M. Škarabot & I. Muševič

  2. Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    M. Ravnik, S. Žumer, I. Poberaj, D. Babič & I. Muševič

Authors
  1. M. Humar
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  2. M. Škarabot
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  3. M. Ravnik
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  4. S. Žumer
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  5. I. Poberaj
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  6. D. Babič
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  7. I. Muševič
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Correspondence to I. Muševič.

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Humar, M., Škarabot, M., Ravnik, M. et al. Electrically tunable diffraction of light from 2D nematic colloidal crystals. Eur. Phys. J. E 27, 73–79 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2008-10353-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2008-10353-0

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