High Performance Liquid Crystals for Infrared Applications

BEAM Co. will partner with University of Berkeley and University of Rochester in an effort of developing liquid crystal materials for broadband tunable spatial and spectral filtering applications targeting a challenging set of operation characteristics including the ability of wide photoinduced Bragg reflection band shift throughout the visible and near IR region of wavelengths, operation at microwatt power radiation, photosensitivity for UV to near IR wavelengths, fast response times (10-3 - 1 s) and wide operation temperature range including room temperature. These features will be obtained relying on photoisomerization of azobenzene derivatives to impart photoresponsive functions on LC material systems, low molecular weight as well as polymer. Wide assortment of azobenzene based mesogenic as well as nonmesogenic proprietary compounds developed at BEAM Co. will enable systematic studies of azobenzene-powered material systems required for identification of compositions with the most promising photoresponsive function for spatial and spectral filtering applications. Novel azobenzene materials will be designed and synthesized with enhanced compatibility with chiral systems. Generation of photonic bandgap structures in azobenzene-powered CLC will be studied related with photoinduced variation of CLC pitch. Feasibility of novel periodically twisted agile LC material systems will be tested with the goal to develop Bragg reflective materials for linear polarized beams.