Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal device, comprising a liquid crystal bulk layer and dopants being inhomogeneously distributed in the bulk layer as a result of being permanently attached to at least one surface, termed dopant surface. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing as well as methods for controlling liquid crystal devices.

Abstract: An electro-optic device includes a liquid crystal cell (10, 10?) and at least one electrode (40, 42, 40?, 42?) arranged to selectively electrically bias the liquid crystal cell (10, 10?). A chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal (30, 30?) is disposed in the liquid crystal cell (10, 10?). The liquid crystal (10, 10?) has an optic axis substantially along a selected optic axis direction in the absence of an electrical bias. A polymeric network (32, 32?, 72) is disposed at an inside surface of the liquid crystal cell (10, 10?). The polymeric network (32, 32?, 72) extends partway into the liquid crystal cell (10, 10?) leaving at least a portion of the liquid crystal cell (10, 10?) substantially free of the polymeric network (32, 32?, 72).

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal device, comprising a liquid crystal bulk layer and chiral dopants being inhomogeneously distributed in the bulk layer as a result of being permanently attached to at least one surface, termed chiral surface. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing as well as methods for controlling liquid crystal devices.

Abstract: An electrooptic device (2), and the methods for manufacturing, including a liquid crystal material (12) disposed between electroded flat glass or polymer substrates (4, 20) which have been precoated with a e.g. a chiral smectic surface layer (10, 14) in such way that the surface layer is able to mediate switching of the liquid crystal (12) between different optical states. The chiral smectic surface layer can be a polymer, oligomer or monomer liquid crystal with paraelectric, ferroelectric, ferrielectric or antiferroelectric response, which is insoluble in the liquid crystal used for the bulk (12) between the electroded substrates (4, 20). the switchable surface director enforces a certain orientation of the optic axis in the bulk liquid crystal (12), which can be a conventional non-chiral or chiral nematic or smectic in a twisted or non-twisted configuration.