Near-Field Optical Microscopy of Defects in Cholesteric Oligomeric Liquid Crystal Films

Conference · Fri Aug 18 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals

OSTI ID:889589

Lukishova, S G ^[1]; Schmid, A W

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1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

This paper describes formation of 2-D hexagonal structures with a periodicity ~0.5-0.8 um in the defects of thin films of cholesteric oligomeric liquid crystals prepared by the evaporation of the solvent from the oligomer solution on the substrate. These regular arrays were observed by scanning near-field optical and concurrent atomic force microscopy. The mechanisms considered are both Benard-Marangoni and buoyancy conventions induced by solvent evaporation and air-bubble creation around the condensed water droplets from the air during evaporative cooling. Hexagonal structures prepared by this method can be used in photonic devices for emission enhancement, for instance, in liquid crystal lasers and single photon sources with oligomeric liquid crystal hosts.

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-92SF19460
• OSTI ID: 889589
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/19460-692; 1655; 2005-85
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Journal Volume: 454
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AIR
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
DEFECTS
EVAPORATION
EVAPORATIVE COOLING
LASERS
LIQUID CRYSTALS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
OPTICS
PERIODICITY
PHOTONS
SOLVENTS
THIN FILMS
WATER
cholesteric oligomeric films
hexagonal arrays
near-field microscopy