Abstract: A surface-stabilized in-plane switching (SS-IPS) liquid crystal (LCD) cell includes a pair of spaced substrates that include alignment layers disposed thereon. The alignment layers are treated to define a first director orientation. Disposed between the alignment layers is a liquid crystal material that contains polymer fibrils that are disposed upon each of the alignment layers. The polymer fibrils serve to maintain the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the first director orientation when no voltage is applied to the LCD cell via interdigitated electrodes disposed upon the alignment layers, thus improving the dynamic response of the SS-IPS LCD cell.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a fumed metal-oxide gel, such as fumed silica gel, that is dispersed into a blue-phase liquid crystal. Adding the fumed silica nanoparticles in blue-phase media leads to the broadening of the blue-phase temperature range and reduces the switching voltage. Additionally, the polarity-controlled nanoparticles of the fumed silica enable the stabilization of thermal-sensitive Bragg reflection property of the blue-phase liquid crystals, which allows their use in active optical elements and fast-switching LCDs.

Abstract: A composition including nanocomposites formed from blue phase liquid crystals that are stabilized with dopants and nanorods such as metallic nanorods and/or carbon nanotubes. Devices including the compositions are disclosed that provide increases temperature ranges as well as reduction in threshold voltage and turn on voltage, in addition to the inherent blue phase liquid crystal properties of sub-millisecond response time in the field induced Kerr effect.

Abstract: A method of preparing liquid crystal alignment films using an inkjet printer to control liquid crystal alignment is disclosed. The alignment ink is formulated from a single alignment material or combination of alignment materials to realize desired pretilt angle. The alignment films can be applied with designed patterns of alignment films of different pretilt angle on at least one substrate to achieve pattern-aligned liquid crystal devices.

Abstract: A surface polymer-assisted vertically aligned (SPA-VA) liquid crystal (LC) cell has a surface alignment layer of surface localized polymer nano spikes capable of controlling the pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules and ensuring fast switching characteristics. The deposition of the polymer nanospikes as a part of the alignment layer is achieved by polymerizing a small amount of a reactive monomer in vertically aligned liquid crystal with or without an applied voltage. Due to the alignment of liquid crystal molecules by the surface alignment layers, the polymerized polymer acts as an internal surface to modify and control the field-induced reorientation of the liquid crystal molecules. The SPA-VA LC cell realizes a stable alignment and the considerable advantage of the formation of polymer spikes via UV irradiation on both substrates of the cell. Furthermore, the switch-off of a SPA-VA is fast due to the enhanced surface anchoring strength by the surface-localized polymer nano spikes.

Abstract: A composition including nanocomposites formed from blue phase liquid crystals that are stabilized with dopants and nanorods such as metallic nanorods and/or carbon nanotubes. Devices including the compositions are disclosed that provide increases temperature ranges as well as reduction, in threshold voltage and turn on voltage, in addition to the inherent blue phase liquid crystal properties of sub-millisecond response time in the field induced Kerr effect.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics.

Abstract: In a preparation method, a chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoreactive monomer, and a photoinitiator are disposed in a liquid crystal cell. A principal surface of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated with ultraviolet light selected to have a non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile in the liquid crystal cell. The illuminating cooperates with the photoinitiator to polymerize at least a portion of the photoreactive monomer near the principal surface to generate a polymer network having a density corresponding to the non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile. The polymer network biases the liquid crystal toward a selected helical alignment direction. In some embodiments, the illuminating includes illuminating with first and second ultraviolet light intensity profiles to produce surface and volume polymer network components.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal (LC) composition, a LC cell thereof, and a LC device thereof. The LC composition comprises (i) a mixture of two or more nematic liquid crystals, and (ii) at least one chiral dopant. The mixture of the liquid crystals can exist in a blue phase within a temperature range of from about 12-60° C. such as 21-28° C. The LC device can be a blue phase mode liquid crystal display (HPLCD) based on such a room-temperature blue phase LC. The HPLCD requires no alignment, and it exhibits merits such as a fast switching time (e.g. sub-millisecond), a low switching voltage and a large field-induced birefringence, among others.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electro-optical device comprising a cell of polymer-stabilized blue phase (PSBP) liquid crystal under an electrical field and a method of controlling the reflection and transmission of an incident electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, by way of controlling the electrical field. The invention exhibits merits such as cost-effectiveness; simpler manufacturability due to the removal of requirements of polarizer and color filter; and fast switching, among others.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes carbon nanotube-doped liquid crystal materials that have a fast switching mode. The liquid crystals may be nematic liquid crystals contained in an optically controlled birefringence cell, with a small amount of nanotubes relative to the liquid crystals. The cell may operate between an optical bend state and homeotropic state, where the liquid crystals aligning in a bend state in response to low voltage and transform to a homeotropic state in response to high voltage. The cell may capable of a large change in effective birefringence, or variable effective birefringence enabling self-compensated optical retardation. The liquid crystals may be included with an electro-optical film, which may be formed with polymer encapsulated liquid crystals with the inclusion of at least a small amount of nanotubes sufficient to induce homogeneous liquid crystal dispersion. The electro-optical film may be fabricated by lamination or otherwise onto a substrate.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of fabrication of liquid crystal light modulating devises having electrically tunable spectral wavelength and more particularly, to a cholesteric liquid crystal display with electrically switchable colors. The cholesteric light modulators may be fabricated by applying a plurality of layers to maximize the light modulation. It also features a polymer composite or polymer-network stabilized cholesteric liquid crystal with electrically switchable Bragg reflected wavelength within a predetermined range of spectral wavelength.

Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.

Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics.

Abstract: A method of preparing liquid crystal alignment films using an inkjet printer to control liquid crystal alignment is disclosed. The alignment ink is formulated from a single alignment material or combination of alignment materials to realize desired pretilt angle. The alignment films can be applied with designed patterns of alignment films of different pretilt angle on at least one substrate to achieve pattern-aligned liquid crystal devices.

Abstract: In a preparation method, a chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoreactive monomer, and a photoinitiator are disposed in a liquid crystal cell. A principal surface of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated with ultraviolet light selected to have a non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile in the liquid crystal cell. The illuminating cooperates with the photoinitiator to polymerize at least a portion of the photoreactive monomer near the principal surface to generate a polymer network having a density corresponding to the non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile. The polymer network biases the liquid crystal toward a selected helical alignment direction. In some embodiments, the illuminating includes illuminating with first and second ultraviolet light intensity profiles to produce surface and volume polymer network components.

Abstract: In a preparation method, a chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoreactive monomer, and a photoinitiator are disposed in a liquid crystal cell. A principal surface of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated with ultraviolet light selected to have a non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile in the liquid crystal cell. The illuminating cooperates with the photoinitiator to polymerize at least a portion of the photoreactive monomer near the principal surface to generate a polymer network having a density corresponding to the non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile. The polymer network biases the liquid crystal toward a selected helical alignment direction. In some embodiments, the illuminating includes illuminating with first and second ultraviolet light intensity profiles to produce surface and volume polymer network components.

Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.