title: Iris-like tunable aperture employing liquid-crystal elastomers.
abstract: A liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE) iris inspired by the human eye is demonstrated. With integrated polyimide-based platinum heaters, the LCE material is thermally actuated. The radial contraction direction, similar to a mammalian iris, is imprinted to the LCE by a custom-designed magnetic field. Actuation of the device is reproducible over multiple cycles and controllable at intermediate contraction states.
authors.affiliation: Gisela and Erwin Sick Chair of Micro-optics, Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 102, 79110, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schuhladen
authors.forename: Falko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Preller
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rix
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petsch
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zentel
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zappe
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D001565:Benzoates / Q000737:chemistry; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005123:Eye; D006801:Humans; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D017671:Platinum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D001565:Benzoates; D020724:Elastomers; D017671:Platinum Compounds
keywords: irises; liquid-crystal elastomers; magnetic orientation; radial actuation; tunable apertures