Abstract: The liquid crystal composition is designed to improve light transmittance using an elastic constant and has a negative value of dielectric anisotropy (??), a liquid crystal display element using the liquid crystal composition, and the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal composition has a negative value of dielectric anisotropy (??) and a value of ? of 0.28 or less. The value of ? is obtained from Equation (2) using a twist elastic constant (K22) value obtained from Equation (1) using measured values of dielectric anisotropy (??), a threshold voltage (Vth), a bend elastic constant (K33), vacuum permittivity (?0), a cell gap (d), and a helical pitch (P0) and measured values of a splay elastic constant (K11) and the bend elastic constant (K33).

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition which enables a significant reduction in crystallization temperature as compared with addition of a homolog while having a similar skeleton structure, which has an excellent compatibility, and which enables an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (??). The liquid crystal composition contains two or more compounds which each have two to four ring structures between two side chains. At least one of the ring structures is a 2,3-difluorobenzene skeleton. The two side chains are bonded to different ring structures. The positions of the 2,3-difluorobenzene skeletons are different from each other, and the number of the ring structures are the same as each other.

Abstract: The liquid crystal light modulator includes a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (20) disposed between two polarizers, and a pair of electrode structures (24, 24). The substrates include homeotropic alignment films (12) and (22), and at least one of the substrates has a function of aligning C-directors of liquid crystal molecules along one direction. The one direction forms an azimuth angle in the range of 35 to 55 degrees with the direction of the electric field generated by the pair of electrode structures (24, 24). A liquid crystal composition layer (31) contains a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C phase or a liquid crystal composition that has an achiral smectic C phase and negative dielectric anisotropy. Light transmittance is modulated by the electric field generated by the electrode structures (24, 24) changing the birefringence index of the liquid crystal composition layer (31).

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition having the following properties without suffering reductions in refractive index anisotropy (?n) and nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (Tm): sufficiently low viscosity (?), sufficiently low rotational viscosity (?1), a large elastic constant (K33), and a negative dielectric anisotropy (??) with a large absolute value. There is also provided a liquid crystal display device of, for example, a VA type that uses such a liquid crystal composition and that has a high response speed and excellent display quality with defective display being eliminated or reduced. In particular, a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy is provided, the composition containing a first component that is at least one compound represented by General Formula (i) and a second component that is at least one compound selected from compounds represented by General Formula (L).

Abstract: This invention provides an FFS type liquid crystal display containing one type or two or more types of compounds selected from the group of compounds represented by General Formula (i), General Formula (ii), and General Formula (iii) and one type or two or more types of compounds selected from compounds represented by General Formula (II). This display makes it possible to realize excellent display characteristics without deteriorating various liquid crystal display characteristics such as dielectric anisotropy, viscosity, nematic-phase maximum temperature, nematic-phase stability at low temperatures, or ?1 and the display burn-in characteristics.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display element. The liquid crystal layer contains a liquid crystal composition between the first substrate and the second substrate. The first common electrode contains a transparent conductive material on the first substrate. The second common electrode contains a transparent conductive material on the second substrate. The pixel electrode contains a transparent conductive material. Distances R between the pixel electrode and the common electrode is smaller than distance G between the first substrate and the second substrate. The common electrode is disposed closer to the first substrate than the pixel electrode over nearly the entire surface of the first substrate. The liquid crystal composition has negative dielectric anisotropy and contains one or two or more compounds selected from the group of compounds represented by General Formula (i), General Formula (ii), and General Formula (iii).

Abstract: The present inventors have made earnest investigations for enhancing the alignment regulation force of the alignment film, and as a result, it has been found that the alignment regulation force can be easily achieved by controlling the yellowness index (YI) of the alignment film to a certain value or more, and thus has been found that the problems can be solved by the following invention. An image display device containing an image display part containing a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal compound regulating a phase or a velocity of transmitted light, and in contact with the liquid crystal layer, a photo alignment layer regulating alignment of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal compound, the alignment layer having a yellowness index (YI) of 0.001<YI<100.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a liquid crystal alignment layer that can easily be formed, to which an anchoring force can be efficiently induced with less polarized light for exposure, and that is effective in controlling the orientation and pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules, and a compound and polymer that can be used for such a liquid crystal alignment layer.

Abstract: Provided is an LCD device having excellent high speed responsiveness. This LCD device contains a polymer or a copolymer in a liquid crystal composition sandwiched between two transparent substrates, at least one of which has an electrode, and the content of the polymer or the copolymer is 1% by mass or greater and less than 40% by mass of the total mass of the liquid crystal composition and the polymer or the copolymer. This LCD device can be applied to various operation modes such as TN, STN, ECB, VA, VA-TN, TPS, FFS, a ? cell, OCB, and cholesteric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes obtaining one of image information of a recording medium placed in a sensing area and tag information attached to the recording medium; obtaining environmental control information corresponding to the obtained one of image information and tag information from a storage; and based on the obtained environmental control information, controlling one or more of a light-emitting device, a display device, an audio device, a temperature control device, an air-flow control device, a vibration device, and an aroma emitting device that are disposed around the sensing area.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a liquid crystal alignment layer that can easily be formed, to which an anchoring force can be efficiently induced with less polarized light for exposure, and that is effective in controlling the orientation and pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules, and a compound and polymer that can be used for such a liquid crystal alignment layer.

Abstract: [Problem] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for developing a large anchoring energy by simple processes. [Solution] There is provided a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal alignment film, comprising: a process (I) of mixing a solvent with a photoresponsive polymer to prepare a photoresponsive polymer solution; a process (II) of coating the photoresponsive polymer solution on a substrate, followed by drying at 50 to 100° C. for 1 to 3 minutes and then drying at 120° C. to 180° C. for 5 to 75 minutes to form a coating film; and a process (III) of adjusting a temperature of the coating film while the coating film is irradiated with a light of 200 to 350 nm to 40° C. to 100° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel liquid crystal composition which exhibits a smectic C* phase and in which a fluorine-substituent-introduced liquid crystal compound that exhibits a smectic C* phase is used to enhance the reliability of a liquid crystal device driven by a TFT and to decrease the melting point thereof for expansion of the operation temperature of the liquid crystal device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention contains at least two liquid crystal compounds each containing a mesogenic group having at least three rings of which at least one is a 2,3-difluorobenzene-1,4-diyl group and two terminal groups having different structures, wherein a compound having a pyrimidine skeleton is not used.

Abstract: The liquid crystal light modulator includes a first substrate (10) and a second substrate (20) disposed between two polarizers, and a pair of electrode structures (24, 24). The substrates include homeotropic alignment films (12) and (22), and at least one of the substrates has a function of aligning C-directors of liquid crystal molecules along one direction. The one direction forms an azimuth angle in the range of 35 to 55 degrees with the direction of the electric field generated by the pair of electrode structures (24, 24). A liquid crystal composition layer (31) contains a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C phase or a liquid crystal composition that has an achiral smectic C phase and negative dielectric anisotropy. Light transmittance is modulated by the electric field generated by the electrode structures (24, 24) changing the birefringence index of the liquid crystal composition layer (31).

Abstract: A first optical system irradiates a target with a detecting wave and making the detecting wave that is transmitted through the target incident upon the electrooptical crystal. A second optical system slants a pulse plane of a probe wave relative to a pulse plane of the detecting wave and making the probe wave incident upon the electrooptical crystal. A camera detects the probe wave passing through the electrooptical crystal. The first or second optical system includes a compensating component which partitions a beam cross section of the detecting wave or the probe wave into unit areas. The optical component makes different an optical path length of a beam passing each unit area and compensates a phase shifting between the pulse plane of the detecting wave and the pulse plane of the probe wave at positions in a crossing direction of a surface of the electrooptical crystal and the virtual plane.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal composition which enables a significant reduction in crystallization temperature as compared with addition of a homologue while having a similar skeleton structure, which has an excellent compatibility, and which enables an increase in the absolute value of negative dielectric anisotropy (??). The liquid crystal composition contains two or more compounds which each have two to four ring structures between two side chains. At least one of the ring structures is a 2,3-difluorobenzene skeleton. The two side chains are bonded to different ring structures. The positions of the 2,3-difluorobenzene skeletons are different from each other, and the number of the ring structures are the same as each other.

Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal composition having negative dielectric anisotropy and a liquid crystal display device that uses the liquid crystal composition. The present invention relates to a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy (??) and useful as an electro-optic liquid crystal display material, and a liquid crystal display device that uses the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains one or more compounds represented by general formula (I) and one or more compounds represented by general formula (II). Since the rate of change in operation voltage versus temperature can be decreased by using the liquid crystal composition of the present invention, the invention is effective for improving the display quality in a low-temperature zone. Thus, the liquid crystal composition is suitable for use in vehicle-mounted displays and mobile appliances that are expected to be used in cold areas and outdoors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and a ferroelectric liquid crystal display element. The present invention provides a ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and a ferroelectric liquid crystal display element using this ferroelectric liquid crystal. The ferroelectric liquid crystal composition of the present invention contains at least one liquid crystal compound and has a chiral smectic C phase, and when the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition is sandwiched between substrates, a layer normal direction of the chiral smectic C phase is 80° to 90° with respect to the substrate surface. According to the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition and the ferroelectric liquid crystal display element of the present invention, since an alignment restoring ability is excellent, the present invention is useful for application in which a pressing force is repeatedly applied.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal composition having a chiral smectic C-phase is disposed as a liquid crystal composition layer between a first substrate and a second substrate arranged between two polarizing plates of which the planes of polarization are orthogonal to each other. The substrates are provided with vertically oriented films, respectively, and at least one of them is provided with orientation treatment that can form a pretilt angle in a certain direction. The C-director of the liquid crystal molecule is oriented in the certain direction at a portion being in contact with the substrate provided with the orientation treatment and is twisted by at least 180° between the first substrate and the second substrate. At least one of the substrates is provided with a pair of electrode structures generating electric fields approximately parallel to each other.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition in which deterioration of viscosity that is associated with an increase in ?n and an increase in ?? is suppressed, and a liquid crystal display element having a markedly improved response speed by using the relevant liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition has a large value of ?n and negative ??, and have large absolute values thereof. Also, the liquid crystal composition has low ?, has excellent liquid crystal properties, and exhibits a liquid crystal phase that is stable in a wide temperature range. Furthermore, since the liquid crystal composition is chemically stable to heat, light, water and the like, the liquid crystal composition is capable of low voltage driving, and is practically useful and highly reliable.