Integrated, photoactive-liquid crystal modulators characterised by optical, multi-parameter analysis

本计画著重在制作与实验特性化之自调光致液晶调变器。目标是开发可以在降低或没有外部电压的情况下操作的调制器。该项目的关键是改进现有的液晶分析仪，使其适用于标准液晶电池，以提供由多层聚合物和液晶膜组成的调制器及其核心参数的全面表征。该项目的另一个目的也是了解光伏液晶电池的基础科学，其结构与集成的光敏层的作用以及它们的吸收和透射对入射光的强度和波长的依赖性。研究任务将包括调查电荷产生和迁移对调制器长期稳定性的影响，确定最佳液晶参数和电极几何形状，以利用和最大化光伏层产生的相对较小电压的好处。

This project focuses on the fabrication and the experimental characterisation of self-regulating photovoltaic-liquid crystal modulators. The goal is to develop the modulators that can operate with reduced or without an external voltage. The critical element in such development will be to adapt the current version of the liquid crystal analyser, suitable for standard, liquid crystal cells, to provide a comprehensive characterisation of the modulators that consist of multi-layer polymer and liquid crystal films, and their core parameters.The other aim of this project is also to understand the basic science of photovoltaic liquid crystal cells, the role of its structure with integrated, photosensitive layers and the dependence of their absorption and transmission on the intensity and wavelength of the incident light. The research tasks will include the investigation of the effect of charge generation and migration on the long-term stability of the modulators, determining the optimal liquid crystal parameters and electrode geometries to exploit and maximise the benefits of the relatively small voltage produced by the photovoltaic layer.