title: Stretchable liquid-crystal blue-phase gels.
abstract: Liquid-crystalline polymers are materials of considerable scientific interest and technological value. An important subset of these materials exhibit rubber-like elasticity, combining the optical properties of liquid crystals with the mechanical properties of rubber. Moreover, they exhibit behaviour not seen in either type of material independently, and many of their properties depend crucially on the particular mesophase employed. Such stretchable liquid-crystalline polymers have previously been demonstrated in the nematic, chiral-nematic, and smectic mesophases. Here, we report the fabrication of a stretchable gel of blue phase I, which forms a self-assembled, three-dimensional photonic crystal that remains electro-optically switchable under a moderate applied voltage, and whose optical properties can be manipulated by an applied strain. We also find that, unlike its undistorted counterpart, a mechanically deformed blue phase exhibits a Pockels electro-optic effect, which sets out new theoretical challenges and possibilities for low-voltage electro-optic devices.
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK [2] Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castles
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK [2] Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: J M C
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Qasim
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nosheen
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Outram
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.affiliation: Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.affiliation: Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Porton Down Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Coles
mesh_terms: D004548:Elasticity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D017785:Photons; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers