Imaging of director fields in liquid crystals using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel 3D imaging technique for liquid crystal director fields using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, enabling chemically selective, background-free visualization of molecular orientations in soft matter.

Contribution

The study presents a new stimulated Raman scattering microscopy method for 3D imaging of liquid crystal director fields with chemical selectivity and background suppression.

Findings

Effective 3D imaging of director fields demonstrated

Chemically selective imaging of liquid crystals achieved

Mapping of long-range molecular orientations shown

Abstract

We demonstrate an approach for background-free three-dimensional imaging of director fields in liquid crystals using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. This imaging technique is implemented using a single femtosecond pulsed laser and a photonic crystal fiber, providing Stokes and pump frequencies needed to access Raman shifts of different chemical bonds of molecules and allowing for chemically selective and broadband imaging of both pristine liquid crystals and composite materials. Using examples of model three-dimensional structures of director fields, we show that the described technique is a powerful tool for mapping of long-range molecular orientation patterns in soft matter via polarized chemical-selective imaging.