Liquid crystal laser droplets

Condensed Matter lunchtime seminar

Liquid crystal laser droplets

  • Event time: 1:00pm until 2:00pm
  • Event date: 23rd April 2018
  • Speaker: Margaret Normand (Engineering & Scottish Microelectronics Centre, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh)
  • Location: Room 6201,

Event details

Chiral nematic liquid crystals (LC) can be used to form high quality, tuneable resonant cavities suitable for lasing. This is normally achieved in a glass cell or with dried emulsions1, however, recent research has shown that LC droplets suspended in an immiscible host solution can also be used. In these LC droplets, a helical molecular structure forms radially resulting in omnidirectional laser emission2,3. Microfluidic techniques have enabled LC droplets with an optimal structure for lasing to be generated and manipulated. We have studied the optical properties of the droplets during formation, whist flowing in a microfluidic channel, and in storage chambers of various dimensions. In this presentation I will discuss our findings in the context of enabling applications of this technology, such as chemical sensing.

1       D. J. Gardiner, S. M. Morris, P. J. W. Hands, C. Mowatt, R. Rutledge, T. D. Wilkinson and H. J. Coles, Opt. Express, 2011, 19, 2432–9.

2       M. Humar and I. Muševič, Opt. Express, 2010, 18, 26995–27003.

3       M. Humar, F. Araoka, H. Takezoe and I. Muševič, Opt. Express, 2016, 24, 19237.

About Condensed Matter lunchtime seminars

This is a weekly series of informal talks given primarily by members of the institute of condensed matter and complex systems, but is also open to members of other groups and external visitors. The aim of the series is to promote discussion and learning of various topics at a level suitable to the broad background of the group. Everyone is welcome to attend..

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