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Title: Optical devices having flakes suspended in a host fluid to provide a flake/fluid system providing flakes with angularly dependent optical properties in response to an alternating current electric field due to the dielectric properties of the system

Patent ·
OSTI ID:908441
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Rochester, NY
  2. Pittsford, NY
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Optical devices utilizing flakes (also called platelets) suspended in a host fluid have optical characteristics, such as reflective properties, which are angular dependent in response to an AC field. The reflectivity may be Bragg-like, and the characteristics are obtained through the use of flakes of liquid crystal material, such as polymer liquid crystal (PLC) materials including polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) and polymer nematic liquid crystal (PNLC) material or birefringent polymers (BP). The host fluid may be propylene carbonate, poly(ethylene glycol) or other fluids or fluid mixtures having fluid conductivity to support conductivity in the flake/host system. AC field dependent rotation of 90.degree. can be obtained at rates and field intensities dependent upon the frequency and magnitude of the AC field. The devices are useful in providing displays, polarizers, filters, spatial light modulators and wherever switchable polarizing, reflecting, and transmission properties are desired.

Research Organization:
The University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC03-92SF19460
Assignee:
The University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
Patent Number(s):
7,042,617
Application Number:
10/405,163
OSTI ID:
908441
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (10)

Electric-field-induced motion of polymer cholesteric liquid-crystal flakes in a moderately conductive fluid journal January 2002
Electrophoretic image display (EPID) panel journal January 1973
The Gyricon rotating ball display journal January 1999
Rapid Prototyping of Micropatterned Substrates Using Conventional Laser Printers journal July 2002
Developments in suspended particle devices (SPD) conference October 1997
An electrophoretic ink for all-printed reflective electronic displays journal July 1998
Induced Fibration of Suspensions journal December 1949
Features of gold having micrometer to centimeter dimensions can be formed through a combination of stamping with an elastomeric stamp and an alkanethiol ‘‘ink’’ followed by chemical etching journal October 1993
MEMS: Some Self-Assembly Required journal January 2002
Particle behavior in shear and electric fields. VI. The microrheology of rigid spheroids journal May 1974

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