Non-polar Flexoelectrooptic Effect in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Blue phase liquid crystals are not usually considered to exhibit a flexoelectrooptic effect, due to the polar nature of flexoelectric switching and the cubic or amorphous structure of blue phases. Here, we derive the form of the flexoelectric contribution to the Kerr constant of blue phases, and experimentally demonstrate and measure the separate contributions to the Kerr constant arising from flexoelectric and dielectric effects. Hence, a non-polar flexoelectrooptic effect is demonstrated in blue phase liquid crystals, which will have consequences for the engineering of novel blue-phase electrooptic technology.