US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Fast Analog Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Electro-Optics for Display Applications

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0317018ClarkDescription: This award is to support a cooperative research project between Dr. Noel Clark, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado and Dr. Mohamed Ewiss, Department of Physics, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. The investigators will pursue the current successful collaboration between the liquid crystal researchers in these two universities to attack a challenging and interesting problem in liquid crystal technology, namely obtaining fast (microsecond speed) liquid crystal electro-optical light valves that are also analog, i.e. which respond in a continuous way to change in applied voltage. Such devices would open the way for development of advanced spatial light modulators for optical data processing applications, as well as displays with unprecedented performance. The proposed research will explore the dependence of dynamic behavior on cell characteristics for a variety of prototype analog device types. If such materials are developed, better understood, and integrated into spatial light modulator prototypes, they may have important applications in optical computing, optical signal processing, and small displays. Scope: The ferroelectric liquid crystal materials showing V-shaped switching have a real possibility of becoming the next generation of extremely fast and parallel light valves. The Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center (FLCMRC) at U. of Colorado is a world leader in advancing this particular frontier. The University of Cairo group is fast becoming a significant player due to its collaboration with the U.S. PI, and brings a somewhat different expertise into the mix. That group found the first explanation of thresholdless switching observed in ferroelectric liquid crystals with high polarization.Educating students in new technological developments will indirectly stimulate the growth of the interest in high-tech devices all around the world. One U.S. graduate student will participate in the project. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.