title: Electrically tunable diffraction of light from 2D nematic colloidal crystals.
abstract: We show that diffraction of visible light from 2D dipolar nematic colloidal crystals can be tuned electrically. When the external electric field of approximately 1 V/microm is applied in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the 2D colloidal crystal, the induced strain is highly anisotropic, and the inter-colloidal spacing changes by as much as 20% along one direction and approximately 2% along the perpendicular one. Although the speed of response is in the range of several seconds, this novel mechanism could provide interesting photonic applications.
authors.affiliation: J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Humar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skarabot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravnik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zumer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poberaj
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Musevic
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008027:Light; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D012822:Silicon Dioxide