We developed new production method for thin (0.3 - 1.0 micron) crystalline film (TCF) coating. Method comprises three steps: first, deposition of solvent based liquid crystalline ink on the surface in thin (10 micron) layer, second, orientation of the liquid by laminar shear flow in desirable direction, drying/crystallization of the laser into submicron thin solid crystalline layer. Final solid crystalline layer can be chemically modified. TCF has properties that defined by properties of molecular materials that are used for liquid crystalline ink. Liquid crystalline ink is ordered media with highly none-linear dependence of viscosity upon shear stress. Application of stress produces orientation of liquid crystal and high viscosity preserves order in drying process. hear flow direction determines the direction of crystallographic axes in crystal thin film. Film has monoclinic symmetry with relatively high defect concentration. Flat molecules of aromatic organic dyes are packed in layered crystalline structure with flat plane oriented perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. In present paper we describe properties of TCF with anisotropy of absorption and birefringence. TCF is highly optically anisotropic film with refraction coefficient difference between ordinary and extraordinary directions up to (Delta) n equals 0.8 in the visible spectrum and (Delta) n equals 0.3 at 1550 nm. Dichroic dyes with narrow band absorption in different areas of UV, visible and IR spectra allow to produce polarizers and retarders with new color band design flexibility.

Date Published: 23 January 2002
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 4459, Photorefractive Fiber and Crystal Devices: Materials, Optical Properties, and Applications VII, and Optical Data Storage, (23 January 2002); doi: 10.1117/12.454013

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4459:
Photorefractive Fiber and Crystal Devices: Materials, Optical Properties, and Applications VII, and Optical Data Storage
Shizhuo Yin; Hans J. Coufal; Francis T. S. Yu; Hans J. Coufal, Editor(s)