Mechanistic insight into circularly polarized photoluminescence from a chiral-nematic film

Circularly polarized photoluminescence (CPPL) was characterized for rod-like molecules of Exalite 428 helically arranged in a chiral-nematic liquid crystalline film. With an unpolarized excitation at 370 nm, CPPL intensities measured at 428 nm, and a selective reflection wavelength ranging from 7.2 to 72.6 mu m, the observed dissymmetry factor, g(e), was found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical prediction, without resorting to adjustable parameters. As a result, new insight into liquid crystal-induced CPPL has emerged. Specifically, it was found that circular dichroism and circular polarization of the excitation beam prior to inducing linearly polarized photoluminescence (LPPL) at quasi-nematic layers play an insignificant role. The relatively large g(e) value in the spectral region far removed from the selective reflection band was attributed to the circular polarization of LPPL emanating from all quasi-nematic layers comprising the chiral-nematic film. In the absence of a fluorescent dye, the propagation of unpolarized light through the chiral-nematic film under otherwise identical conditions results in no circular polarization. The present study has provided a foundation for generating circularly polarized light by way of photo-excitation with unpolarized light of a chiral-nematic him containing a fluorescent dye.