Ultra-low viscosity liquid crystal materials

We report five ultra-low viscosity nematic liquid crystal mixtures with birefringence around 0.1, dielectric anisotropy in the range of 3 to 6, and clearing temperature about 80°C. A big advantage of these low viscosity mixtures is low activation energy, which significantly suppresses the rising rate of viscosity at low temperatures. Using our mixture M3 as an example, the response time of a 3-μm cell at −20°C is only 30 ms. Widespread application of these materials for display devices demanding a fast response time, especially at low temperatures, is foreseeable. ©2015 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (160.3710) Liquid crystals; (230.3720) Liquid-crystal devices. References and links 1. M. Schadt, “Milestone in the history of field-effect liquid crystal displays and materials,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 48, 03B001 (2009). 2. K.-H. Fan-Chiang, C.-C. Lai, J.-T. Cheng, C.-C. Yen, B.-J. Liao, Y.-Y. Ho, and Y.-C. 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