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The authors achieve all-optical molecular realignment in liquid crystal cells by coupling transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes with a ferroelectric nematic ($N_F$) instead of a standard paraelectric phase. Low-power light irradiation induces an internal electric field across the ITO/$N_F$ interface that is sufficiently strong to switch the macroscopic ferroelectric polarization without an applied external voltage. This extreme photosensitivity establishes a zero-bias optical switching platform for ultra-low-power reconfigurable photonics and optical modulation.
Swapping conventional paraelectric liquid crystals for ferroelectric nematics enables molecular switching via low-power light alone, bypassing the external drive voltages required by standard spatial light modulators.
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) employ thin pixels of a paraelectric nematic, confined between two glass plates with transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. A voltage applied to the electrodes realigns the molecules, changing the optical appearance of the pixel. Here we demonstrate that a similar molecular realignment can be triggered by low-power light irradiation when the paraelectric nematic in the cell with ITO electrodes is replaced with a ferroelectric nematic (NF). Irradiation creates an intrinsic electric field that is strong enough to realign the NF but too weak to affect the paraelectric nematic. The extraordinary sensitivity of the ITO/NF pair to light irradiation creates a platform for optical control of ferroelectric polarization and applications in photonics, sensing, smart windows, and beyond.