Analytic study of electro-active soft actuator for wavelength tunable mechano-chromic photonic gels and shape deformable device

Abstract

Soft actuator is an emerging device that can be used for sensors, shape deformable display, medical applications and potentially for delicate human interface robots. Soft actuator can demonstrate stimulus responsive properties against various triggering methods. Especially, dielectric elastomers and ferroelectric polymers, which are electroactive polymeric materials, are suitable materials for fast response, high force, and high reliability in various device applications of soft actuator. In this thesis, a couple of research application approaches of soft actuator using electro-active materials for color tunable photonic sensor and shape deformable display applications. In first part, analytic study of the dielectric elastomer actuator in conjunction with a photonic nanocrystal gel was investigated for optical color wavelength change in detail. With an integrated observation with mechanical stretching and electrical source system, redesigned Bragg-Snell equation was used to realize the electrically triggered mechano-chromic mechanism. In second part, using ferroelectric polymer, which can demonstrate bi-directional actuation characteristics and electro-actively shape deformations for potential dynamic bendable display was studied. In contrast to the shape fixed or shape deformable device, U-shape and S-shape bending mechanisms with unimorph and bimorph ferroelectric polymer actuator were studied. The key findings of two approaches using the electroactive polymer actuators, it would be a quantitative information for better understanding of the electroactive photonic gel mechano-chromic mechanism and electroactive bendable applications.