title: Optical manipulation of self-aligned graphene flakes in liquid crystals.
abstract: Graphene recently emerged as a new two-dimensional material platform with unique optical, thermal and electronic properties. Single- or few-atom-thick graphene flakes can potentially be utilized to form structured bulk composites that further enrich these properties and enable a broad range of new applications. Here we describe optical manipulation of self-aligned colloidal graphene flakes in thermotropic liquid crystals of nematic and cholesteric types. Three-dimensional rotational and translational manipulation of graphene flakes by means of holographic optical tweezers allows for non-contact spatial patterning of graphene, control of liquid crystal defects, and low-power optical realignment of the liquid crystal director using these flakes. Potential applications include optically- and electrically-controlled reconfigurable liquid crystalline dispersions of spontaneously aligning colloidal graphene flakes and new electro-optic devices with graphene-based interconnected transparent electrodes at surfaces and in the bulk of liquid crystals.
authors: Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors: Christopher W
authors: CW
authors: Twombly
authors: Julian S
authors: JS
authors: Evans
authors: Ivan I
authors: II
authors: Smalyukh