논문초록
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Microdroplets composed of liquid crystals (LCs) offer both high birefringence and rapid response to external stimuli (e.g., electric/magnetic fields), making them ideal for optical and sensory applications. However, controlling the size and local distribution while retaining high throughput remains challenging. In this work, we propose a design rule to precisely manipulate the LC microdroplets on a substrate through controlled diffusion of LCs followed by phase separation, resulting in hemispherical LC droplets. Specifically, we control both diffusion and phase separation of LCs within the polymer matrix upon heating and cooling sequences, respectively. The exact size and number density are precisely achievable by varying temperature profiles and surface characteristics(e.g., affinity, roughness). Thus, the local patterning of the substrate shows various optical textures that allow us to design spatially distinguishable structural colors. This work was supported by the NRF (RS-2023-00302586 and RS-2023-00212739). |