Enhanced optoelastic interaction range in liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy

Journal Article · Mon Jan 06 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4861473· OSTI ID:22257215

Simoni, F.; Lalli, S.; Lucchetti, L. ^[1]; Criante, L. ^[2]; Brasselet, E. ^[3]

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1. Dipartimento di Scienze e Ingegneria della Materia, dell'Ambiente ed Urbanistica and CNISM, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona (Italy)
2. Center for Nano Science and Technology-PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 70/3, 20133 Milano (Italy)
3. Univ. Bordeaux and CNRS, Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine, UMR 5798, F-33400 Talence (France)

We demonstrate that the long-range interaction between surface-functionalized microparticles immersed a nematic liquid crystal—a “nematic colloid”—and a laser-induced “ghost colloid” can be enhanced by a low-voltage quasistatic electric field when the nematic mesophase has a negative dielectric anisotropy. The optoelastic trapping distance is shown to be enhanced by a factor up to 2.5 in presence of an electric field. Experimental data are quantitatively described with a theoretical model accounting for the spatial overlap between the orientational distortions around the microparticle and those induced by the trapping light beam itself.

• OSTI ID: 22257215
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 104; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
INTERACTION RANGE
LASERS
LIQUID CRYSTALS