Influence of cylindrical geometry and alignment layers on growth process and selective reflection of blue phase domains

TL;DR

This paper investigates how cylindrical geometry and alignment layers affect the growth, orientation, and optical reflection of blue phase liquid crystal domains, demonstrating controlled switching between phases in a capillary.

Contribution

It presents the first analysis of blue phase domain growth within a cylindrical capillary and explores how geometry and alignment layers influence their optical and phase behavior.

Findings

Cylindrical shape alters blue phase domain orientations.

Alignment layers influence domain growth and orientation.

Switching between BP I and chiral phase is achievable in capillaries.

Abstract

In this work the influence of cylindrical shape and alignment layers on light reflection in Blue Phase Liquid Crystal (BPLC) is presented. For the first time, the process of BP domains growth in a capillary is presented. The cylindrical structure, its diameter and alignment layers change the orientations of cubic blue phase (BP) domains and affect their growth. By using temperature and external electric field the uniform structure was obtained. In this study the ability of switching between BP I and chiral phase in a capillary is also shown.