Eelectro-optic Behavior of Opal-LC Photonic Crystals

In this paper, we describe the electro-optic effects of photonic crystals made of a synthetic opal filled with a nematic liquid crystal(LC). By applying an external electric field, a shift in the Bragg reflection peak position(stop band) and a field-induced change in its peak reflectivity are observed. These significant surface alignment effects of the opal-LC composite are discussed in a similar manner for Freederick-type transitions of LC within a confined geometry in the presence of external fields.