Enhanced Electro‐Optic Properties of Blue Phase Liquid Crystals Using Slippery Polymer Stabilization

Abstract

Blue-phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) are promising for next-generation fast-switching displays due to their unique nanoscale self-assembly and soft-crystalline properties. However, conventional stabilization methods using high glass-transition temperature (T_g) polymers, such as acrylates or thiols, often result in high operating voltages due to strong surface anchoring at the LC-polymer interface, limiting practical applications. This study proposes using poly(hexyl methacrylate) (PHMA), a low-T_g polymer (∼−5 °C), to create a slippery polymer network that reduces operating and threshold voltages. Additionally, this sliding interface promotes the BP-III phase, further decreasing the operating voltage to 38% with minimal hysteresis and increasing the relative Kerr constant by ninefold. The biphasic interaction between BPLCs and PHMA is quantitatively analyzed, offering insights into the sliding surface mechanism and optimized the Kerr and response time equations. These findings highlight significant potential for advancing next-generation electro-optic and tunable photonic systems.