Surface effect on phase transition behavior of cholesteric blue phase liquid crystal in wedge-cell

Abstract

Blue phase (BP) is expected to be used as electro-optic devices because of its fast response to electric field and characteristic optical properties. The phase transition behavior and the molecular and lattice orientations of BP are seemed to be affected by the device surface, but there are many unclear points. In this study, we investigated the phase transition behavior of BP by polarizing microscope observation and reflection spectra measurements using a wedge-cell. We found that the phase transition from cholesteric to BP I phases occurs preferentially in the vicinity of Grandjean defects of cholesteric phase in wedge-cell upon heating temperature.