Xinyi Yu

Xinyi Yu

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology，

Doctor

I am Yu Xinyi, obtaining the Ph.D. in Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2020 to 2025, affiliated with the State Key Laboratory of Display & Opto-Electronics. Under the guidance of Prof. Srivastava, I have been engaged in liquid crystal (LC) alignment technology and LC optoelectronic applications for five years.

Over the past five years, I mainly focused on industrially viable single-molecule alignment layers for LCs. Their efficient processing available at room-temperature and excellent optoelectronic performance make them promising as a new alternative alignment material. Additionally, I pioneered a new field of threshold-less LC + passive vibration sensing, successfully validating the concept model of remote, real-time, and high-precision vibration sensing without power dependence.

Since 2020, I have submitted 8 papers to ICDT/SID Symposium, including 4 as the first author and 4 as the second author. I have also been given the opportunity to present at Display Week twice and to display posters twice. During these conferences, I extensively exchanged the latest technological advancements with fellow researchers and exhibitors, mainly covering display accessories and coatings, LC technology, and novel applications.

Title

High-performance phosphonic-acid-based monolayer alignment materials with room-temperature treatment

Abstract：

SID has accompanied my research career in liquid crystals (LCs), providing inspiration for my work and fostering new friendships. Over the past five years, I was dedicated to the fundamental optimization and novel applications of LCs. Therefore, my presentation will mainly focus on high-performance room-temperature processed monolayer alignment layers and also touch upon the passive vibration sensing technology based on threshold-less LCs that we are developing.

The polyimide alignment materials commonly used in industry offer high stability and excellent photoelectric performance, but they are constrained by the high cost, energy consumption, and carbon emissions associated with the hard baking process. Starting from phosphonic acid surface agents, we proposed a set of material design benchmark frameworks and developed a series of high-performance materials, including ultrafast processing, photo-induced parallel/perpendicular alignment, and photo-induced rewritable materials. All of these materials can be deposited efficiently through a low-temperature immersion-washing process, with the processing time as short as 30 minutes and a very high material utilization rate. Meanwhile, they possess photoelectric performance comparable to or even better than commercial polymers and photoalignment materials.

Furthermore, the future of LCs lies in interdisciplinary applications. We have creatively integrated thresholdless LCs, including nematic and ferroelectric LCs, into passive vibration sensing systems. By converting weak sensing electrical signals into modulated optical signals in a highly linear and wide frequency range, we have achieved real-time remote vibration monitoring without power dependence.