Wavelength‐ and Helicity‐Reconfigurable Circularly Polarized Optical Diodes Enabled by Molecular Photoswitches
4 affiliations
- 1SCNU‐TUE Joint Lab of Device Integrated Responsive Materials (DIRM) Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Information Materials and Technology National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics South China Normal University Guangzhou China
- 2SCNU‐UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics South China Normal University Guangzhou China
- 3Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Structure and Fundamental Interactions of Matter School of Physics South China Normal University Guangzhou China
- 4CINBIO Department of Physical Chemistry Materials Chemistry and Physics Group Universidade De Vigo Vigo Spain
Abstract
Achieving nonreciprocal transmission of circularly polarized light (CPL) is critical for chiral photonics and spin‐selective optical communication, yet existing optical diodes typically operate at fixed wavelengths. Here, we report an all‐optical, photoswitchable diode‐type device for tunable nonreciprocal (asymmetric) transmission of CPL across a broad spectrum of light using molecular motor (photoswitch)‐doped cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) sandwiched between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polydopamine (PDA)‐PVA composite layers. Under ultraviolet irradiation, the photoswitches continuously modulate the helical twisting power of the CLC, enabling reversible tuning of the photonic bandgap (PBG) and, at higher irradiation levels, helix inversion with opposite handedness. Thus, we demonstrate dynamic switching of both the operating wavelength and the isolated CPL helicity within a single device architecture. The asymmetric PDA@PVA photothermal interface enables forward photothermal activation of the cholesteric–isotropic transition while maintaining spin‐selective Bragg reflection under backward incidence. This mechanism enables wavelength‐tunable and chirality‐adaptive nonreciprocal transmission for both right‐ and left‐handed CPL. The device achieves isolation ratios exceeding 15.10 dB at all tested wavelengths, with a maximum value of 15.80 dB at 980 nm, while maintaining insertion losses below 2.89 dB, reaching as low as 1.05 dB. Furthermore, the operating thresholds and thermal tolerance can be tailored through liquid‐crystal composition.
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BibTeX
@article{ye2026wavelength,
title = {{Wavelength‐ and Helicity‐Reconfigurable Circularly Polarized Optical Diodes Enabled by Molecular Photoswitches}},
author = {Chaoguang Ye and Ming Yuan and Jiaxin Liu and Wei Zhou and Changsheng Wu and Zhenyu Zhou and Chaoying Zhu and Xiao‐Fang Jiang and Jiawen Chen and Lakshminarayana Polavarapu and Guofu Zhou and Xiaowen Hu},
journal = {Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1002/adma.74882},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.74882},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Wavelength‐ and Helicity‐Reconfigurable Circularly Polarized Optical Diodes Enabled by Molecular Photoswitches
AU - Chaoguang Ye
AU - Ming Yuan
AU - Jiaxin Liu
AU - Wei Zhou
AU - Changsheng Wu
AU - Zhenyu Zhou
AU - Chaoying Zhu
AU - Xiao‐Fang Jiang
AU - Jiawen Chen
AU - Lakshminarayana Polavarapu
AU - Guofu Zhou
AU - Xiaowen Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
JO - Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
DO - 10.1002/adma.74882
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.74882
AB - Achieving nonreciprocal transmission of circularly polarized light (CPL) is critical for chiral photonics and spin‐selective optical communication, yet existing optical diodes typically operate at fixed wavelengths. Here, we report an all‐optical, photoswitchable diode‐type device for tunable nonreciprocal (asymmetric) transmission of CPL across a broad spectrum of light using molecular motor (photoswitch)‐doped cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) sandwiched between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polydopamine (PDA)‐PVA composite layers. Under ultraviolet irradiation, the photoswitches continuously modulate the helical twisting power of the CLC, enabling reversible tuning of the photonic bandgap (PBG) and, at higher irradiation levels, helix inversion with opposite handedness. Thus, we demonstrate dynamic switching of both the operating wavelength and the isolated CPL helicity within a single device architecture. The asymmetric PDA@PVA photothermal interface enables forward photothermal activation of the cholesteric–isotropic transition while maintaining spin‐selective Bragg reflection under backward incidence. This mechanism enables wavelength‐tunable and chirality‐adaptive nonreciprocal transmission for both right‐ and left‐handed CPL. The device achieves isolation ratios exceeding 15.10 dB at all tested wavelengths, with a maximum value of 15.80 dB at 980 nm, while maintaining insertion losses below 2.89 dB, reaching as low as 1.05 dB. Furthermore, the operating thresholds and thermal tolerance can be tailored through liquid‐crystal composition.
SN - 0935-9648
SN - 1521-4095
ER -