Reconfigurable liquid crystal droplets using a dielectric force

Dielectric force-induced shape change of liquid crystal (LC) droplets which are randomly dispersed in a liquid polymer is demonstrated. By applying a sufficiently high voltage, the isolated spherical LC droplets are coalesced to form a planar layer, while the cylindrical LC droplets which make contact on both substrate surfaces cannot be deformed easily. On the contrary, each cylindrical LC droplet functions as a swollen well to unite the adjacent LC droplets. The dynamic behavior for flattening the spherical LC droplets is also studied. Potential applications of these reconfigurable LC droplets for various photonic devices are discussed.