A new pathway to attain soft tunable 3D photonic crystal that can control light in all directions by introducing nanoparticles of appropriate shape and size in the blue phase liquid crystal can pave the way for sophisticated photonic devices.
- Photonic crystals like wings of a butterfly, peacock feathers, etc are fascinating optical materials owing to their ability to manipulate light.
- They are optical analogues of semiconductors with a refractive index contrast along the light propagation direction.
- Photonic crystals can control light either along a particular direction (incomplete photonic band gap — PBG) or in all directions (complete PBG).
- The blue phases (BPs) exhibited by highly chiral liquid crystals are increasingly being explored as cost-effective alternatives to conventional 3D photonic crystals, as the photonic property is realised by the self-assembly of LC molecules.
- The research team from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru has shown an elegant pathway to achieve complete photonic bandgap in BPs.
