Characterization of Liquid Crystal Materials for Millimeter-Wave Wireless Communication

Liquid crystal (LC) materials are expected to be strong candidate for attaining millimeter-wave (MMW) control devices useful for the next wireless communication standard, 5G/6G. Although LCs are well-known excellent electro-optic materials for display applications, optimal LC materials are strongly desired for MMW applications. Because a small LC material loss may lead to the fatal degradation of the device in the case of MMW applications, the loss properties must be considered as birefringence when designing LC devices. In this study, we focus on hydrogen-bonded LC and progressive conventional-type LC as a new class of LC materials for MMW applications. The refractive index and absorption coefficient are evaluated in the MMW region to determine their superior performance compared to the conventional LC materials synthesized for display applications.