The blue phase liquid crystal is a mesophase that manifests at a high level of chirality in between chiral nematic and isotropic phase. This cross-polarized image, captured in transmission mode, showcases a high-chirality liquid crystal in a core-shell geometry as it undergoes cooling from the blue phase liquid crystal to the chiral nematic phase. At the point of this phase transition, the orientation of molecules at the interface shifts, giving rise to a distinctive spiky pattern. The core-shell is generated by microfluidic device.
The mixture is a nematic liquid crystal named MLC2142 which is doped with left-handed chiral dopant (S-811) at 37wt%. The coreshell is stabilized by polyvinyl alcohol solution and has planar anchoring.