Com o objetivo de estudar os efeitos provocados pela adição de um corante em um cristal líquido termotrópico (CL), pesquisamos neste trabalho a influência da temperatura na reorientação das moléculas deste composto, bem como o índice de refração e a absorção não-linear, devido à presença de um campo eletromagnético. O CL estudado apresenta a reorientação de suas moléculas na presença de luz polarizada. Esta reorientação se deve à polarização provocada pelo campo eletromagnético da luz incidente nas moléculas do CL. O torque, que ocasiona tal reorientação, é denominado torque óptico Gammaopt. Quando estes CLs são dopados com determinados corantes, o campo incidente também interage com o corante, induzindo assim dipolos elétricos. Estes dipolos, por sua vez, interagem com as moléculas do CL provocando nelas um torque adicional Gammadye. Este torque adicional é proporcional ao torque óptico Gammadye = eta Gammaopt, onde eta é uma característica do corante denominado de fator de amplificação do torque óptico e depende da temperatura em que a amostra se encontra. A principal ferramenta do nosso estudo é a técnica de varredura z e, é através dela, que observamos a influência da temperatura nos efeitos não-lineares, refrativo e absortivo, exibidos pelas amostras. Através de tal técnica, calculamos, em função da temperatura, o fator de amplificação do torque óptico (eta); os índices de refração não-lineares (n2) devido à reorientação molecular da amostra, com e sem corante; e os coeficientes de absorção não-lineares (Beta) da amostra dopada devido a efeitos térmicos, de reorientação (torque) e de todos os efeitos somados. / With the objective of studying the effects due to the addition of a dye in a thermotropic liquid crystal (LC), we investigated in this work the influence of the temperature in the reorientation of the molecules of this compound, as well as the refraction index and the non linear absorption, in the presence of a electromagnetic field. The studied LC presents the reorientation of its molecules in the presence of polarized light. This reorientation is due to the polarization induced by the electromagnetic field of the incident light in the molecules of LC. The torque, that causes such reorientation, is named Gammaopt. When these LCs are doped with certain dyes, the incident field also interact with the dye, inducing electric dipoles. These dipoles, interact with the molecules of the LC producing an additional torque Gammadye. This additional torque is proportional to the optical torque Gammadye = eta Gammaopt, where eta is a characteristic of the dye, a factor of amplification of the optical torque, that is temperature dependent. The main tool of our study is the z-scan technique and, it is through it, that we observed the influence of the temperature in the non linear, refractive and absorptive effects, exhibited by the samples. Through this technique, we calculated, as a function of the temperature, the amplification factor of the optical torque (eta); the non linear refractive index (n2) due to the molecular reorientation of the sample, with and without dye; and the non linear absorption coefficient (Beta) of the doped sample due to thermal effects, of reorientation (torque) and of all the effects together.

This thesis presents the investigation of the liquid crystal (LC) - particle suspensions. Particles from nano- to micro-size, spherical to two-dimensional shapes, with different functionality are dispersed into nematic and smectic phases. The aim is to create ordered nanoparticle (NP) assemblies and thereby modify the common properties of the liquid crystal, such as dielectric anisotropy and electro-optical, revealing any interaction between particles and LC properties. It is found that for concentrations (>0.5vol%), the ferroelectric NPs have increased the sensitivity of the nematic liquid crystal to the electric field through electro-optical responses, which is seen by an enhancement in the dielectric anisotropy. This could be induced by the coupling of the electrical dipole moments in the spherical NPs with the LC director field. The electro-optical properties of the chiral smectic (SmC*) phase (tilt angle Θ, switching time τ_s and spontaneous polarisation P_s) are found to be independent of the concentration and sizes of the doped NPs. The relaxation frequency f_R of the Goldstone mode is faster in the ferroelectric NPs suspensions of 2.0vol% compared to the paraelectric NPs. In the graphene oxide (GO) - nematic LC (5CB) suspensions, the small GO sizes of mean size 560 nm are more easily dispersible than larger flakes of 2.8 micro metre mean size. As the GO concentration is increased, each of the threshold voltage and splay elastic constant dramatically increases, reaching saturation at ≈1.0wt%. The field driven switching-on time is practically not affected, while the purely elastically driven switching-off time is strongly sped-up. Interestingly, thermotropic and lyotropic LC phases are exhibited in the GO-5CB suspensions when heating the thermotropic liquid crystal into its isotropic phase. The isotropic phase of 5CB acts as a solvent for the GO particles, forming a lyotropic nematic phase with largely reduced birefringence. It is found that the nematic to isotropic phase transition is shifted toward higher temperature for the GO-5CB system compared to the BaTiO3-5CB system. Dispersions of different sizes of GO flakes are prepared in isotropic and nematic fluid media. The dielectric relaxation behaviour of GO-dispersions was examined for a wide temperature range (25-60 ℃) and frequency range (100 Hz-2 MHz). The mixtures containing GO flakes were found to exhibit varying dielectric relaxation processes, depending on the size of the flakes and the elastic properties of the dispersant fluid. The relaxation frequencies in the isotropic media were lower compared to the nematic medium. Relaxation frequencies (~10 kHz) are observed in the GO-isotropic media, which are reduced as the size of the GO flakes are decreased, are anticipated to be inherited from GO flakes. However, the fast relaxations (~100 kHz) that are observed in the nematic suspensions could imply strongly slowed down molecular relaxation modes of the nematogenic molecules. Finally, the phase diagram of lyotropic LC as a function of the lateral dimensions of the GO flakes, their concentration, geometrical confinement configuration and solvent polarity was investigated. Polarising optical microscopy was used to determine isotropic-biphasic-nematic phase evolution. The confinement volume and geometry of the sample relative to the GO size are shown to be vital to the observation of the lyotropic phase. GO LCs have the potential for a range of applications from display technologies to conductive fibres. The confinement related LC phase transition is critical toward their applications. It is also found that the stability of the LC phase is higher for the solvent of higher dielectric constant.

Para uso em aplicações tecnológicas os cristais líquidos são geralmente confinados em em celas, onde a interação do cristal líquido com a superfície de contorno é de grande importância para o bom desempenho do dispositivo. Os cristais líquidos liotrópicos em particular, possuem propriedades físicas muito mais complexas que os termotrópicos, que não são conhecidas em sua totalidade. Dessa forma, desenvolvemos um estudo com o objetivo de investigar a influência da superfície na configuração de uma amostra de cristal líquido liotrópico. Utilizamos alguns tratamentos de superfície para alterar as condições de contorno e investigar a orientação induzida ao cristal líquido. Esses tratamentos alteram as propriedades físico-químicas das superfícies, tais como o caráter hidrofílico (utilizando lâminas de vidro) e hidrofóbico (utilizando lâminas de vidro recobertas com polímero). Outro tratamento empregado consiste no esfregamento dos substratos ao longo de uma direção preferencial que pode alterar a topografia das superfícies. Variamos a espessura da amostra para comparar os efeitos devido as interações da superfície em relação as interações entre as moléculas no volume. Efetuamos análise de textura da amostra de cristal líquido liotrópico após colocada nas celas fabricadas com os substratos tratados. Através de medidas de transmitância de um feixe de luz polarizada pela amostra, investigamos os processos dinâmicos de reorientação e relaxação induzidos por um campo magnético externo. / The use of liquid crystals (LC) in technological applications (LC displays) implies that these materials might be confined in thin cells, where the interactions with the boundary surfaces are of great importance for a good performance of such displays. The physical properties of lyotropic liquid crystals, in particular, are much more complexe than those of thermotropic LC, and are not up to now completely understood. Therefore, we have performed a study with the objective of investigating the influence of the boundary surface on the configuration of a lyotropic liquid crystal sample. Different surface treatments were used to modify the boundary conditions and to investigate the orientation induced to the liquid crystal. These surface treatments may affect the physico-chemical properties of the surfaces, such as the hydrophilicity (using clean glass plates) and hydrophobicity (by coating the glass plates with a polymer). Another treatment that have been used is the unidirectional rubbing of the substrates that can change the surfaces topography. The sample thickness was also varied in order to compare the effects due to surface interactions with respect to the intermolecular interactions in the bulk. We have performed an analysis of the texture of the lyotropic liquid crystal sample once confined in the cells built from the treated substrates. By means of the measurements of the intensity of a polarized light beam crossing the sample, we have investigated the dynamics of the reorientation and relaxation processes induced by the an external magnetic field.

Para uso em aplicações tecnológicas os cristais líquidos são geralmente confinados em em celas, onde a interação do cristal líquido com a superfície de contorno é de grande importância para o bom desempenho do dispositivo. Os cristais líquidos liotrópicos em particular, possuem propriedades físicas muito mais complexas que os termotrópicos, que não são conhecidas em sua totalidade. Dessa forma, desenvolvemos um estudo com o objetivo de investigar a influência da superfície na configuração de uma amostra de cristal líquido liotrópico. Utilizamos alguns tratamentos de superfície para alterar as condições de contorno e investigar a orientação induzida ao cristal líquido. Esses tratamentos alteram as propriedades físico-químicas das superfícies, tais como o caráter hidrofílico (utilizando lâminas de vidro) e hidrofóbico (utilizando lâminas de vidro recobertas com polímero). Outro tratamento empregado consiste no esfregamento dos substratos ao longo de uma direção preferencial que pode alterar a topografia das superfícies. Variamos a espessura da amostra para comparar os efeitos devido as interações da superfície em relação as interações entre as moléculas no volume. Efetuamos análise de textura da amostra de cristal líquido liotrópico após colocada nas celas fabricadas com os substratos tratados. Através de medidas de transmitância de um feixe de luz polarizada pela amostra, investigamos os processos dinâmicos de reorientação e relaxação induzidos por um campo magnético externo. / The use of liquid crystals (LC) in technological applications (LC displays) implies that these materials might be confined in thin cells, where the interactions with the boundary surfaces are of great importance for a good performance of such displays. The physical properties of lyotropic liquid crystals, in particular, are much more complexe than those of thermotropic LC, and are not up to now completely understood. Therefore, we have performed a study with the objective of investigating the influence of the boundary surface on the configuration of a lyotropic liquid crystal sample. Different surface treatments were used to modify the boundary conditions and to investigate the orientation induced to the liquid crystal. These surface treatments may affect the physico-chemical properties of the surfaces, such as the hydrophilicity (using clean glass plates) and hydrophobicity (by coating the glass plates with a polymer). Another treatment that have been used is the unidirectional rubbing of the substrates that can change the surfaces topography. The sample thickness was also varied in order to compare the effects due to surface interactions with respect to the intermolecular interactions in the bulk. We have performed an analysis of the texture of the lyotropic liquid crystal sample once confined in the cells built from the treated substrates. By means of the measurements of the intensity of a polarized light beam crossing the sample, we have investigated the dynamics of the reorientation and relaxation processes induced by the an external magnetic field.

Com o objetivo de estudar os efeitos provocados pela adição de um corante em um cristal líquido termotrópico (CL), pesquisamos neste trabalho a influência da temperatura na reorientação das moléculas deste composto, bem como o índice de refração e a absorção não-linear, devido à presença de um campo eletromagnético. O CL estudado apresenta a reorientação de suas moléculas na presença de luz polarizada. Esta reorientação se deve à polarização provocada pelo campo eletromagnético da luz incidente nas moléculas do CL. O torque, que ocasiona tal reorientação, é denominado torque óptico Gammaopt. Quando estes CLs são dopados com determinados corantes, o campo incidente também interage com o corante, induzindo assim dipolos elétricos. Estes dipolos, por sua vez, interagem com as moléculas do CL provocando nelas um torque adicional Gammadye. Este torque adicional é proporcional ao torque óptico Gammadye = eta Gammaopt, onde eta é uma característica do corante denominado de fator de amplificação do torque óptico e depende da temperatura em que a amostra se encontra. A principal ferramenta do nosso estudo é a técnica de varredura z e, é através dela, que observamos a influência da temperatura nos efeitos não-lineares, refrativo e absortivo, exibidos pelas amostras. Através de tal técnica, calculamos, em função da temperatura, o fator de amplificação do torque óptico (eta); os índices de refração não-lineares (n2) devido à reorientação molecular da amostra, com e sem corante; e os coeficientes de absorção não-lineares (Beta) da amostra dopada devido a efeitos térmicos, de reorientação (torque) e de todos os efeitos somados. / With the objective of studying the effects due to the addition of a dye in a thermotropic liquid crystal (LC), we investigated in this work the influence of the temperature in the reorientation of the molecules of this compound, as well as the refraction index and the non linear absorption, in the presence of a electromagnetic field. The studied LC presents the reorientation of its molecules in the presence of polarized light. This reorientation is due to the polarization induced by the electromagnetic field of the incident light in the molecules of LC. The torque, that causes such reorientation, is named Gammaopt. When these LCs are doped with certain dyes, the incident field also interact with the dye, inducing electric dipoles. These dipoles, interact with the molecules of the LC producing an additional torque Gammadye. This additional torque is proportional to the optical torque Gammadye = eta Gammaopt, where eta is a characteristic of the dye, a factor of amplification of the optical torque, that is temperature dependent. The main tool of our study is the z-scan technique and, it is through it, that we observed the influence of the temperature in the non linear, refractive and absorptive effects, exhibited by the samples. Through this technique, we calculated, as a function of the temperature, the amplification factor of the optical torque (eta); the non linear refractive index (n2) due to the molecular reorientation of the sample, with and without dye; and the non linear absorption coefficient (Beta) of the doped sample due to thermal effects, of reorientation (torque) and of all the effects together.

Neste trabalho foi feito o estudo do efeito de orientação de moléculas de cristal líquido (5CB) em superfícies recobertas com fotopolímeros. Estudamos o processo de alinhamento fotoinduzido às moléculas de cristal líquido, de forma a caracterizar a intensidade de energia de ancoramento em função da energia de luz incidente e da concentração de cromóforos nos fotopolímeros. Foi realizado um estudo do efeito de competição entre duas direções distintas induzidas por fotoalinhamento, através da gravação de microtexturas periódicas. Neste trabalho, foi utilizado um modelo teórico para explicar como se dá a transição orientacional conforme se muda o período da textura periódica gravada. Foi feito também a gravação de grades de relevo nesses materiais, utilizando luz polarizada com alta potência incidente através da técnica de interferência de luz. O objetivo principal deste trabalho seria uma tentativa de se realizar o efeito de competição de alinhamento entre os processos fotoinduzidos: um efeito de fotoalinhamento, levando em conta a orientação das cadeias poliméricas, e outro de relevo, levando em conta a deformação da superfície tratada. Um resultado obtido foi a impossibilidade de se realizar este estudo, pois as intensidades de energia de ancoramento induzidas envolvidas diferem entre si de um fator de duas ordens de grandeza, mostrando que a direção de fotoalinhamento sempre acaba prevalecendo. Para contornar este problema, foi estudada a competição de fotoalinhamento com a técnica de rubbing, tendo em vista que as intensidades de energia de ancoramento estudadas eram compatíveis entre si. / In this work we performed a study of the orientacional effect of the liquid crystals molecules in substrates coated with azopolymers films. We studied the photoalignment induced to liquid crystals molecules to determine the behavior of the magnitude of anchoring energy as a function of incident energy and azodyes concentration in the polymer. Then we performed a competition study of the competition of photoalignment effect by recording a microtexture pattern on the azopolymer surface, with two directions of alignment. In this work, we also introduced a theoretical model to explain the orientacional transitions observed as we changed the period of the patterned microtexture. Another technique utilized was the Surface Relief Grating recording, by using polarized light with enough power and creating an interference pattern in the azopolymer surface, we were able to create a topological structure in the surface. The main objective of this work was supposed to investigate the competition between these two photoinduced effects, when one is caused by a photoalignment of the polymer chains, and the other is due to topological issues. We concluded that it was not possible to have competition between these two effects, mainly because the magnitude of the anchoring energy induced by SRG was found to be a hundred times smaller than the photoinduced one. As an alternative to this approach, we studied, then, the competition between the rubbing process and the photoalignment effect, as the magnitude of these two effects was found to be compatible.

In this PhD Thesis I present some methods for characterizing PA-LCoS microdisplays. It is useful to fully characterize this type of devices for evaluating its performance required in different applications. We have tested its validity in different applications such as diffractive optics elements (DOEs). Finally we apply these microdisplays in a full holographic data storage scheme using a photopolymer as holographic recording medium. We evaluate the capability of PVA/AA photopolymer for this holographic data storage system that incorporates as a novelty a convergent correlator geometry.

L'imagerie de polarisation apporte des informations complémentaires à l'imagerie conventionnelle. L'oeil humain n'étant cependant pas sensible à la polarisation de la lumière, l'utilisation d'équipements spécifiques est indispensable. Depuis le XIXème siècle, des scientifiques étudient la polarisation de la lumière: d'abord avec de simples lames polarisantes, puis depuis une vingtaine d'années à l'aide de modulateurs à cristaux liquides (CL). Ces derniers présentent un avantage considérable par rapport aux lames polarisantes: ils permettent des vitesses de modulation de la polarisation de la lumière qui ne peuvent être atteintes avec des lames orientées mécaniquement. Les CL nématiques alignés parallèlement et les CL nématiques en hélice sont les plus répandus aujourd'hui, que ce soit dans des équipements grand public tels que les écrans d'ordinateur, ou dans des équipements professionnels. Ils fonctionnent à des fréquences maximales de l'ordre de 50Hz. La vitesse de fonctionnement de ces CL peut toutefois encore être dépassée en utilisant des CL ferroélectriques, pouvant atteindre le kiloHertz. Ces éléments sont rapportés dans la littérature comme des éléments bistables, donc ne permettant pas de moduler la polarisation incidente de manière accordable, contrairement aux CL nématiques. En d'autres termes, un seul modulateur à CL ferroélectriques ne permet a priori pas d'analyser la totalité de la polarisation. Seulement une fraction de la polarisation linéaire du faisceau incident peut être identifiée.Le présent travail vise à montrer qu'a posteriori des CL ferroélectriques convenablement commandés peuvent être utilisés de manière accordable pour analyser la totalité de la polarisation. Partant d'un modulateur à CL ferroélectriques conventionnel, il est montré dans un premier temps que l'on peut analyser la totalité de la polarisation linéaire dès lors que la commande électrique est adaptée. Puis dans un deuxième temps, en exploitant la dépendance en longueur d'onde du comportement du modulateur, nous démontrons que cet élément optique peut être utilisé pour analyser la totalité de la polarisation du faisceau incident, c'est-à-dire la composante linéaire aussi bien que circulaire. Un polarimètre à division temporelle est développé pour prouver la faisabilité d'un polarimètre n'utilisant qu'un seul et unique modulateur à CL ferroélectriques pour tout élément polarisant. Un défaut a également été mis en évidence dans la restitution de l'information de polarisation avec un polarimètre à division temporelle lors de l'observation d'objets en mouvement. Avec un tel système, l'acquisition des différentes images d'intensités nécessaires à l'estimation de l'information de polarisation se fait séquentiellement. Par conséquent, le mouvement d'un objet dans la scène pendant la phase d'acquisition se répercute sur la séquence d'images d'intensités, ce qui produit des artéfacts lors de l'estimation de la polarisation. Des solutions à ce problème sont proposées. / Analyzing the polarization of the light can bring complementary information to the classical imaging. Since the human eye is not capable of catching the polarization, specific sensing device have to be developed. Since the XIXth century, scientists study the polarization of the light: first with polarizing plates, then for the past two decades with liquid crystals (LC). These last elements have the enormous advantage to allow light modulation frequency far beyond what can be reach with mechanically rotated plates. Aligned nematic LC and twisted nematic LC are the most common technologies used today, either in devices made for the general public such as computer screens, or in professional devices. Their typical modulation rate is 50Hz. Higher modulation rate, around the kiloHertz, can be reached using ferroelectric LC. Ferroelectric LC are known to be bistable components, unable to modulate the polarization in an accordable manner, contrary to nematic LC. As a consequence, only a fraction of the linear polarization can be estimated with ferroelectric LC.The present work aims to demonstrate that correctly electrically driven, a ferroelectric LC cell can be used to analyzed the whole polarization of the incident light beam. Firstly, it is shown that a single ferroelectric LC modulator is sufficient to analyze the whole linear polarization, as long as the command signal is properly designed. Secondly, based on the wavelength dependency of the modulator's behavior, it is show that a single modulator can be used to analyze the total polarization, that is both linear and circular polarization. A prototype of division of time polarimeter is developed in order to demonstrate the feasibility of a polarimeter using a single ferroelectric LC modulator and no other polarization sensitive component. In the mean time, a defect has been highlighted while observing moving objects with a division of time polarimeter. With this kind of polarimeter, intensity images needed to compute the polarization information are acquired one after another. As a consequence, the motion of an object is observable on the intensity pictures, which leads to defects on the picture of the estimated polarization information. Solutions to this issue are proposed.

[pt] Neste trabalho estudamos a viabilidade do desenvolvimento de um sistema laser de cristal líquido colestérico (CLC) acoplado a fibra óptica visando sua aplicação como um sensor de temperatura. Sensores laser de CLC acoplados a fibra óptica são atrativos devido às enormes vantagens que as fibras ópticas apresentam e à resposta de cristais líquidos a vários estímulos externos. A emissão laser de CLC ocorre na banda de menor energia da banda de reflexão, e corresponde a um comprimento de onda determinado pelo passo e pelo índice de refração extraordinário. Esses parâmetros podem ser alterados pela mudança da temperatura externa, proporcionando variações no comprimento de onda do laser de CLC. Essas variações no comprimento de onda do laser de CLC podem ser usadas para monitorar a temperatura. Obtivemos emissão laser estável num sistema laser CLC acoplado à fibra óptica quando bombeado pelo segundo harmônico de um laser de Nd:YAG e desenvolvemos uma técnica para ancorar o cristal líquido nas extremidades das fibras ópticas. A dependência da emissão laser com a temperatura foi investigada em duas situações, posicionando o laser de CLC entre fibras ópticas e em células de vidro. Diversos cristais líquidos foram estudados a fim de se otimizar a resposta do laser com a temperatura. Variações discretas na dependência do comprimento de onda da emissão laser foram observadas no sistema que utilizava as células de vidro. Associamos esse comportamento à dependência do ancoramento das moléculas do cristal líquido na superfície do vidro com a temperatura. / [en] In this work, we have studied the viability of developing a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) laser system coupled into an optical fiber aiming its application as temperature sensor. Sensors made of CLC laser coupled to optical fibers are a very attractive proposition due to the enormous advantages of the optical fibers and the response of the liquid crystal to various external stimuli. The laser emission occurs at the low energy edge of the reflection band, and the corresponding wavelength is determined by the pitch and the extraordinary refractive index. These parameters can be altered by a change in the external temperature, leading to variations in the wavelength of the CLC laser emission, which can be used to monitor the external temperature. We obtained a stable laser emission in a CLC laser system coupled into an optical fiber when pumped by the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser. A technique to anchor the liquid crystal at the optical fibers ends was developed. The temperature dependence of the laser emission was investigated in two situations, placing the CLC laser between optical fibers and into the glass cells. Several liquid crystals were studied in order to optimize the laser response with temperature. Discrete variations in the temperature dependence of the laser emission wavelength were observed when the glass cell system was used. We associated this behavior to a temperature dependence of the surface anchoring of the liquid crystal molecules in the glass surface.

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films, consisting of micro-sized domains of a liquid crystal dispersing in a polymer matrix, serve as the basis of a variety of high-efficiency electro-optical effects. The thermo-optical properties of the PDLCs were investigated in this thesis. The thermal properties and the morphologies of four low molar mass mesogens were studied by DSC and polarized optical microscope (POM). There were significant super cooling/heating effects on the first order phase transitions but not on the mesophase transitions. The structural effects on the transition temperature were investigated. Between the two 4-alkoxybenzoic acids mesogens, the clearing temperature of 4-(octyloxy)benzoic acid was higher than 4-(decyloxy)benzoic acid because of the increasing chain length. Trans-4-methoxycinnamic acid had the highest melting temperature among the four mesogens despite the molar mass because the carboxylic acid termini of trans-4-methoxycinnamic acid gave rise to strong intermolecular attractions. The smectic phases of 4-(octyloxy)benzoic acid were classified as head-to-head bilayer orientational smectic structures, SmA2 and SmC2, respectively, by wide angle X-ray diffraction through measuring the d spacing of the liquid crystal. The total solubility parameter was used to evaluate matching a polymer-LC-solvent combination. PDLC films were prepared by the solvent induced phase separation method and suitable morphologies were achieved by thermal induced phase separation. The phase transition temperatures of PDLCs were shifted to a lower temperature due to the polymer dispersion effects. Different mesophases were observed in PDLC films when LC exhibited different mesophases. The LC fractions in the droplets were calculated from the nematic to isotropic enthalpies through the Smith equation. Two factors, thermal cooling rate and the LC concentration, which affect the size of the droplet dispersed in the polymer matrix, were investigated in the PVC dispersed 4,4'-azoxyanisole. The phase transitions of pHEMA dispersed 4-(octyloxy)benzoic acid and PVC dispersed 4,4'-azoxyanisole were investigated by TMDSC and quasi-isothermal TMDSC. The TMDSC results were analysed by the two approaches, reversing and non-reversing heat flow and complex heat capacity. The results of the phase transitions of the two PDLCs illustrated that in the PDLCs it involved both non-reversing, melting, and reversing, clearing and the transition between two mesophases. In the non-reversing transition, the transition temperature would be affected by super cooling/heating and the results obtained in the experiments were dependent on the experimental conditions, such as the heating or cooling rate, sample size and purge gas flow rate. However, in the reversing transition process, there were no super cooling/heating effects observed and it seemed that the experimental conditions were not so critical. Results could be monitored by Lissajous figures obtained from the quasi-isothermal TMDSC. The plots of modulated heat flow versus the derivative of modulated temperature can be used to alert to unfavorable experimental conditions where loss of system linearity could be seen.