Hui-Yu CHEN^* and Wei LEE

Department of Physics, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li, Taiwan 32023, Republic of China

(Received August 20, 2004; Accepted April 8, 2005)

Electro-optical effects of twisted nematic (TN) cells of pristine and carbon-nanotube-doped liquid crystal were investigated. In comparison with the characteristics of an undoped TN cell, both the threshold dc voltage and the ion-charge effect are reduced by the addition of either single-walled (SW-) or multi-walled (MW-) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a dopant in the TN cell. Experimental evidence indicates that MWCNTs are a superior additive to SWCNTs.

Key words: liquid crystals, carbon nanotubes, electro-optical properties, ion-charge effect, voltage–transmittance hysteresis, voltage–capacitance hysteresis

^*E-mail address: g9201203@cycu.edu.tw