Abstract: A reflector to be used in a liquid crystal display for reflecting an external light to display images therewith, including an organic film, and a reflective film formed covering the organic film therewith. The organic film has first raised and recessed portions at a surface thereof, and second raised and recessed portions formed at a surface of the first raised and recessed portions. The first raised and recessed portions include raised portions and recessed portions at least one of which is arcuate in cross-section, and the second raised and recessed portions are smaller in size than the first raised and recessed portions. The reflective film is shaped reflecting the first and second raised and recessed portions.

Abstract: An optical element of the invention comprises at least three laminated circular-polarization-type-reflection polarizers (a) whose wavelength bands for selective reflection of polarized light overlap one another; a layer (b1) which is placed between at least a pair of the circular-polarization-type-reflection polarizers (a) and has a front retardation of substantially zero (in the normal direction) and a retardation of at least ?/8 with respect to incident light inclined by at least 30° relative to the normal direction; and a layer (b2) which is placed between at least another pair of the circular-polarization-type-reflection polarizers (a) and has a front retardation of substantially zero (in the normal direction) and a retardation of at most ?/2 with respect to incident light inclined by 60° relative to the normal direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal display element, a method of manufacturing the element, and electronic paper having the element. The invention provides a liquid crystal element in which a change in a state of display attributable to an external force can be suppressed, a method of manufacturing the element, and electronic paper having the element. One blue pixel region is surrounded by four wall structures and four polymer layers without any discontinuity. The wall structures are formed on a bottom substrate and are in contact with a top substrate. The polymer layers are formed by injecting a cholesteric liquid crystal and polymeric substances (monomers or oligomers) which are materials different from both of the cholesteric liquid crystal and the wall structures between the top and bottom substrates and polymerizing the polymeric substances.

Abstract: The invention provides a thin reflective plate having cholesteric liquid crystal that can prevent or reduce a decrease of reflection efficiency. A reflective plate includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and the cholesteric liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of regions in which the helical axes of the cholesteric liquid crystal are aligned in different directions in the plane of a substrate, and therefore, the regions can reflect color light components having different wavelengths. Consequently, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer can reflect light formed of light components of different colors (for example, white light) as a whole. When the reflective plate is applied to a reflective liquid crystal display device or the like, it is possible to appropriately reflect white light for display.

Abstract: A phase-invariant layer, which is formed at areas that are not transmission areas, forces light entering the reflection areas of a transflective LCD from a backlight unit to move into transmission areas by reflection, so that the amount of light used in a transmission mode is increased. In this way, light utilization efficiency and display luminance of the LCD are improved.

Abstract: The invention relates to light emitting devices (2) with variable output color. More specifically, the inventions provides a color conversion cell (10) which can be positioned in front of a light source (4) in order to generate other color or color temperatures. Typically the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) which is power efficient but emits in a narrow and fixed spectra. The new colors are generated by photoluminescence in fluorescent dyes contained in the cell. The color converting of the cell is electrically controllable, preferably by controlling the orientation, density or distribution of the fluorescent dyes, or by controlling a pathlength of the light in the cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photo-tunable dopant compositions comprising a photo-reactive chiral compound capable of undergoing a photochemical reaction resulting in the loss of chirality, and a triplet sensitizer. The present invention also relates to a display comprising a substrate, a liquid crystalline layer thereon, wherein the liquid crystalline layer comprises a nematic host, at least one chiral dopant, a photo-reacted compound, and a triplet sensitizer, and at least one transparent conductive layer. The present invention also relates to a method of tuning a cholesteric liquid crystal material comprising providing at least one mesogenic compound, at least one triplet sensitizer, and at least one photo-reactive chiral compound; combining the at least one mesogenic compound, at least one triplet sensitizer, and at least one photo-reactive chiral compound to form a mixture; and irradiating the mixture for a period of time.

Abstract: This invention relates to a high brightness and high contrast ratio reflective cholesteric displays employing circular polarizers. The front circular polarizer has a predetermined polarity that is opposite both to the Bragg reflection of the display and to the back reflective circular polarizer. An absorptive weak polarizer with high transmittance is adopted in the display system. In the black-and-white display mode, the white state is achieved in the cholesteric focal conic texture area; and the black state is obtained in the cholesteric planar texture area. In the full color mode, the full color state is created by the micro-color filter in the cholesteric focal conic texture area; and the black state is realized in the cholesteric planar texture area.

Abstract: A display device of the present invention has light-emitting devices making up a plurality of pixels placed in a matrix form. In the display device of the present invention, the light-emitting devices each possesses an emissive layer and a reflective element placed on the rear surface of the emissive layer; the emissive layer possesses at the said of the front side, a polarization separator which separates the light emitted from the emissive layer into two kinds of polarized components by the reflection and the transmission, and phase plate; the emissive layer substantially maintains the sate of the polarization of the light transmitted there-through; the reflective element at least reflects the circularly polarized light impinging in the vertical direction mainly as a circularly polarized light having a reverse helicity direction; and the polarization separator has a reflectance of the wavelength range from 520 nm to 600 nm smaller than a reflectance of range not more than 540 nm.

Abstract: A display device displaying a color by mixing light reflected by a first reflection element 22 and light reflected by a second reflection element 26 by additive color mixture, in which the light of a first wavelength reflected by the first reflection element and light of a second wavelength reflected by the second reflection element have a mutually complementary color relationship. Thus, the display device, which can make good black and white display by a simple structure and can be driven by a simple method, can be realized.

Abstract: A display device. The display device including a display surface, a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of sensor areas, an optical filter portion, a light shielding portion, and an arithmetically operating portion.

Abstract: A display element comprises: a pair of substrates disposed opposite to each other; a liquid crystal enclosed between the pair of substrates; a wall structure which is formed to surround a pixel region and which is in contact with both of the pair of substrates; and an opening section which is an opening provided in a part of the wall structure to allow the liquid crustal to flow out of the pixel region.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes: a first substrate; a second substrate disposed so as to be closer to a viewer than the first substrate is; a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; a light source provided by a side of the first substrate, the light source emitting light toward a side face of the first substrate; and a selective reflection layer formed on a principal face of the first substrate opposite from the viewer, the selective reflection layer selectively reflecting light of a specific polarization direction.

Abstract: A material of a mirror layer is formed within a trench and a via hole. The trench is formed in a dielectric layer over a substrate. The via hole is formed within the trench. The material within the trench is the mirror layer. The material within the via hole is a via plug. The mirror layer is continuous with the via plug.

Abstract: A cholesteric liquid crystal display device (40) comprises a stack of three cells (10), each cell comprising a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material (19) capable of being switched between a plurality of states including a planar state in which it reflects light with wavelengths in a central band (31) corresponding to red, green and blue, respectively, and in overtone bands (32, 33) on both sides of the central band (31). Each adjacent pair of cells 10 in the stack is held together by a layer of adhesive (42, 43). At least one of the layers of adhesive (42, 43) includes a red dye which is absorbent of light with wavelengths in the overtone bands (32) on the side of the central band (31) of lower wavelength. The red dye improves the perceived red colour of light reflected from the red cell (10R) by suppressing the overtone bands. The provision of the red dye in the adhesive provides several advantages in manufacture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a reflective polarizing film for a liquid crystal display device in which cholesteric liquid crystal layers having different selective light-reflecting wavelengths are laminated in the laminated coating method, thus a forming liquid crystal film that covers a visible light region and ¼? retardation film are attached to the liquid crystal film. In this case, two or more cholestric liquid crystal layers having different selective light-reflecting wavelengths are laminated in order from the shorter wavelength to the longer wavelength in the laminated coating method. Further, during the lamination, orientation layers are laminated between the liquid crystal layers to maximize the selective reflection characteristic of the cholesteric liquid crystal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device in which a reflective display region for performing reflective display and a transmissive display region for performing transmissive display are provided in one dot region, includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed so as to be opposite to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween; a first electrode and a second electrode provided on a surface of the first substrate which faces the liquid crystal layer, each of the first and second electrodes applying an in-plane electric field to the liquid crystal layer in the one dot region, and a reflective portion dielectric film provided on the first electrode and/or the second electrode in the reflective display region, the reflective portion dielectric film making a capacitance between the first and second electrodes in the reflective display region smaller than a capacitance between the first and second electrodes in the transmissive display region.

Abstract: The invention comprises a stacked color photodisplay apparatus using a photosensitive cholesteric liquid crystalline material on which an image can be optically addressed, retained without degradation for an indefinite period of time, electrically erased and a new image addressed. This is similar to a photographic film except that the photodisplay film can be used over and over again similar to digital display but without the cost of addressing electronics. Included is a device for enhancing the brightness of the image and electrooptical devices for optically writing digital images on the photodisplay. Each cell in the stack can be selectively addressed with a different optical image such as the red, green and blue components of a color digital image.

Abstract: A polarized interference recycling backlight module for generating light with a single polarization state, which reduces the optical loss in light beam output, is suitable for mass production, and decreases manufacturing costs, is disclosed. The backlight is easily integrated with conventional electro-optical display devices and achieves high-quality polarization. The polarized interference recycling backlight module according to the present invention comprises an optical cavity and interference polar (I-Polar) composed of stacked layers. At least one layer of said I-Polar is optically anisotropic and is made by means of Cascade Crystallization Process, is characterized by a globally ordered biaxial crystalline structure with an intermolecular spacing of 3.4±0.3 ? in the direction of one of optical axes, is transparent in the visible spectral range, and is formed by rodlike supramolecules representing at least one polycyclic organic compound with a conjugated ?-system and ionogenic groups.

Abstract: A low color shift optical film is provided. The low color shift optical film comprises a cholesteric liquid crystal film and a retardation plate consisting of one or more O-plate type retardation plates on the cholesteric liquid crystal film. The retardation plate provides functions of polarization transformation and color shift compensation.

Abstract: A partial polarization member is provided on a second substrate. The partial polarization member is provided corresponding to an aperture of a reflection film, and is not provided in other areas that overlap with reflectors of a reflection film. Therefore, light that is incident from a backlight is reflected by the reflection film and returns to the backlight, without generating loss due to absorption or the like. The light that returns to the backlight is reflected by a backlight reflection film of the backlight, and is output to the aperture of the reflection film.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mirror device, the reflectivity of which may be varied by means of applying a voltage. According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a mirror device, the reflectivity of which may be varied by means of applying a voltage, comprising a cholesteric filter (33) which is arranged to be gradually switchable between a reflective and a transparent state by varying said voltage, and a display device (32) arranged to be at least partly covered by the cholesteric filter, wherein said display device is visible when the cholesteric filter is set in the transparent state and hidden when the cholesteric filter is set in the reflective state.

Abstract: A display device including a first electrode, a liquid crystal layer positioned under and connected to the first electrode, a second electrode and a switchable optical layer. The switchable optical layer includes either a transparent state or a non-transparent state and is electrically switchable between the transparent state and the non-transparent state. The non-transparent state is a reflective state or a selectively emissive state. The switchable optical layer is positioned above and connected to the second electrode. A third electrode is positioned between the liquid crystal layer and the switchable optical layer.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of method of manufacture of a reflective polarizing film that can improve brightness of a liquid crystal display device remarkably by making a liquid crystal film that can cover visible light by using cholesteric liquid crystal layers having different selective light-reflection central wavelengths, attaching a quarter wave (¼ ?) retardation film on top of the liquid crystal film, and adding prism patterns to the opposite side of the liquid crystal film. The reflective polarizing film of the present invention is characterized by that two or more cholesteric liquid crystal layers having different selective reflection wavelength regions are laminated in order from a shorter wavelength to a longer wavelength, and brightness of a liquid crystal display device is maximized owing to an integrated film manufactured by attaching a ¼ ? retardation film onto cholesteric liquid crystal layers and forming prism patterns onto the opposite side.

Abstract: A display device of the present invention has light-emitting devices making up a plurality of pixels placed in a matrix form. In the display device of the present invention, the light-emitting devices each possesses an emissive layer and a reflective element placed on the rear surface of the emissive layer; the emissive layer possesses at the said of the front side, a polarization separator which separates the light emitted from the emissive layer into two kinds of polarized components by the reflection and the transmission, and phase plate; the emissive layer substantially maintains the sate of the polarization of the light transmitted there-through; the reflective element at least reflects the circularly polarized light impinging in the vertical direction mainly as a circularly polarized light having a reverse helicity direction; and the polarization separator has a reflectance of the wavelength range from 520 nm to 600 nm smaller than a reflectance of range not more than 540 nm.

Abstract: A LCD device (200) is disclosed that has a cholesteric compound layer (205), a backplane light (201), and one or more polarizers (203, 209) and liquid crystal smectic C* layers. The cholesteric compound layer (205) transmits elliptically polarized light having an amount of absorbance which is related to the angular rotation of the polarization. One or more of the liquid crystal smectic C* layers may be controlled as a polarization filter to select the apparent color of the transmitted light.

Abstract: A broad band cholesteric liquid crystal film of the present invention is a cholesteric liquid crystal film obtained by coating a liquid crystal mixture containing a polymerizable mesogen compound (a), a polymerizable chiral agent (b) and a photoisomerizable material (c) on a substrate to ultraviolet polymerize a coat of the liquid crystal mixture, and has a reflection bandwidth of 200 nm or more. A broad band cholesteric liquid crystal film of the present invention has a broad reflection band, is of a thin type and can be manufactured in less of manufacturing steps.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first cell (10b), said first cell comprising a plurality of first elements (34b), said first elements being controllable between a non-reflective state, in which electromagnetic radiation having a first polarization is reflected to a first extent, and a reflective state, in which said electromagnetic radiation having a first polarization is reflected to a second extent, said second extent being greater than said first extent. Said apparatus further comprises a second cell (10a), superimposed on the first cell, said second cell comprising a plurality of second elements (34a), said second elements being controllable between a non-reflective state, in which electromagnetic radiation having a second polarization is reflected to a third extent, and a reflective state, in which said electromagnetic radiation having a second polarization is reflected to a fourth extent, said fourth extent being greater than said third extent.

Abstract: A discrimination medium 10a includes a first double layered body 101 having a right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 and a left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 which are stacked. The right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 reflects a specific right-handed circular polarization light, and the left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 reflects a specific left-handed circular polarization light. The discrimination medium 10a is applied to the article 30, and is viewed via a simple determination tool 20 having a filter 21 allowing only right-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough and a filter 22 allowing only left-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device in which three cholesteric liquid crystal layers of selective reflection type are laminated, comprises: a first liquid crystal layer arranged on a device observation side selectively reflecting blue; a second liquid crystal layer arranged next to the first liquid crystal layer selectively reflecting green; a third liquid crystal layer arranged next to the second liquid crystal layer selectively reflecting red; and a green cut filter layer arranged between the green liquid crystal layer and the red liquid crystal layer selectively absorbing a light ray of a wavelength of 600 nm or less.

Abstract: A breakable seal can be discriminated more easily than the conventional one. The discrimination medium 100 has a cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104, a substrate layer 105, an adhesive layer 102, and a partial peeling layer 103. The discrimination medium 100 has an adhesion strength XA between the adhesive layer 102 and the partial peeling layer 103, an adhesion strength XB between the partial peeling layer 103 and the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104, and an adhesion strength XC between the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104 and the substrate layer 105. The relationships XA<XB and XA<XC are satisfied at areas 106, 108, and 110. The relationships XC<XA and XC<XB are satisfied at areas 107 and 109. In the above manner, when the discrimination medium 100 is peeled from the article 101, the discrimination medium 100 is separated into a discrimination medium 116 and a discrimination medium 117.

Abstract: A display device displaying a color by mixing light reflected by a first reflection element 22 and light reflected by a second reflection element 26 by additive color mixture, in which the light of a first wavelength reflected by the first reflection element and light of a second wavelength reflected by the second reflection element have a mutually complementary color relationship. Thus, the display device, which can make good black and white display by a simple structure and can be driven by a simple method, can be realized.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dual display LCD device including: a front light unit supplying light; a first polarizer on the front light unit; an LCD panel on the first polarizer; a selective reflection/transmission part on the LCD panel; and a second polarizer on the selective reflection/transmission part; wherein the selective reflection/transmission part selectively reflects the light in a reflection mode to display an image on a front side thereof in a first display mode; and wherein the selective reflection/transmission part passes the light in a transmission mode to display an image on a rear side thereof in a second display mode.

Abstract: A display sheet comprising a substrate carrying layers of material; including a polymer-dispersed chiral-nematic liquid-crystal layer having a first high reflection state within the visible light spectrum and a second less-reflective state in said spectrum, said states being changeable by an electric field, which states can be maintained in the absence of an electric field; a first transparent conductor disposed over said polymer-dispersed chiral-nematic liquid-crystal layer; and a second conductor, wherein said imaging layer is substantially a monolayer of said domains comprises a mixture of at least two differently reflecting liquid crystal materials, in which the ? maximums of the two materials are separated by 100 to 250 nm.

Abstract: A semi-transmission type liquid crystal display that maximizes the luminance in reflection mode and transmission mode. The liquid crystal display comprises a lower substrate with thin film transistors, an opposite substrate facing the lower substrate, a liquid crystal layer between the lower substrate and the opposite substrate, a reflection electrode formed in a reflection area of the lower substrate, a transparent electrode formed in a transparent area of the lower substrate, a common electrode formed on the opposite substrate, and a drive circuit for applying a voltage between the reflection electrode and the transparent electrode and the common electrode. The potential difference between a drive voltage applied to that surface of the lower substrate which contacts the liquid crystal layer and a drive voltage applied to that surface of the opposite substrate which contacts the liquid crystal layer is lower in the reflection area than in the transparent area.

Abstract: A projection screen capable of sharply displaying an image even under bright environmental light with high image visibility. A projection screen has a polarized-light selective reflection layer with a cholesteric liquid crystalline structure, capable of selectively reflecting a specific polarized light component, and a substrate for supporting the reflection layer. Of the light entering the reflection layer from the viewer's side, the right-handed light in the selective reflection wave range is reflected from the reflection layer as reflected light. As a result of structural non-uniformity in the cholesteric liquid crystalline structure, the light that is selectively reflected (reflected light) is diffused.

Abstract: Provided herein is a retardation optical element 10 that produces no bright and dark fringes on a displayed image even when placed between a liquid crystal cell 104 and a polarizer 102B and thus can effectively prevent lowering of display quality. The retardation optical element 10 includes a retardation layer 12 having a cholesteric-regular molecular structure with liquid crystalline molecules in planar orientation. The helical pitch in the molecular structure of the retardation layer 12 is so adjusted that the retardation layer 12 can, owing to its molecular structure, selectively reflect light whose wavelength falls in a range different from the wave range of light incident on the retardation layer 12 (the selective reflection wave range of the retardation layer is either shorter or longer than the wave range of the incident light).

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates having inner surfaces facing and spaced apart from each other; a light absorption layer on an inner surface of the first substrate; a cholesteric liquid crystal color filter (CCF) layer on the light absorption layer for selectively reflecting light corresponding to one of red, green, and blue colors; a first transparent electrode on the CCF layer; a first orientation film on the first transparent electrode; a second transparent electrode on the inner surface of the second substrate; a second orientation film on the second transparent electrode, the first and second orientation films being rubbed along the same direction; a polarizing plate on an outer surface of the second substrate; and a layer of liquid crystal material between the first and second orientation films, wherein the layer of liquid crystal material has a bend structure.

Abstract: There are provided a liquid crystal display device, which positively reflects, by a reflecting electrode and a light-shielding layer, light emitted from a backlight and further reflected from a light-shielding layer or a reflecting layer, and recycles the light while avoiding absorption in a linearly polarizing plate to improve the utilization efficiency of light and thus to realize a bright display screen, and an optical element for use in the liquid crystal display device.

Abstract: Pre-aligned optical layers are stacked and arranged such that an adhesive layer, which is stacked onto the optical layers, contacts at least the uppermost layer and lowermost layer. The resulting subassemblies can be assembled into an optical display without individual handling of the layers, which reduces installation time and manufacturing costs.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a display-input apparatus (108) for displaying alternate character sets, in correspondence with a selected mode of operation of the device. The display-input apparatus uses first and second cholesteric display layers (302, 304) to display the different character sets. Each cholesteric display layer displays a different character set when active. When not active, the cholesteric display layer is rendered transparent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of color filters, in particular, to a non-absorbing polarization color filters and to high-brightness color liquid crystal display panel with improved image contrast employing non-absorbing polarization color filters and light recycling among neighboring subpixels. The disclosed invention represents a non-absorbing polarization color filter comprising the following elements: a rear broadband multilayer lossless polarizer, a front broadband multilayer lossless polarizer, and a color polarization rotator. The rear broadband multilayer lossless polarizer has a predefined-oriented transmission axis AB. Said front broadband multilayer lossless polarizer is located approximately in parallel with the rear broadband multilayer lossless polarizer, and has a transmission axis approximately parallel or approximately orthogonal with respect to transmission axis AB.

Abstract: A viewing angle magnification liquid crystal display of this invention comprising: at least a backlight system containing a polarization element (A) obtained by disposing a retardation layer (b) between at least two layers, included in a reflection polarizer (a), and having respective selective reflection wavelength bands of polarized light superimposed on each other to conduct collimation for a diffusion light source; a liquid crystal cell transmitting collimated lights; a polarizing plate disposed on both sides of the liquid crystal cell; and a viewing angle magnifying layer disposed on the viewer side of the liquid crystal cell to diffuse transmitted light. The liquid crystal display can realize a thin type and have a wide viewing angle.

Abstract: Reflective liquid crystalline polymer films having increased bandwidth have a single layer of liquid crystalline material with short, long, and medium pitch of the helical molecular structure of the liquid crystalline polymer. The films are easily produced by a readily reproducible and economic process of low complexity.

Abstract: An optical body includes a) first particles comprising a first cholesteric liquid crystal material and b) a second cholesteric liquid crystal material. The first particles and the second cholesteric liquid crystal material form a structure where the first cholesteric liquid crystal material has a pitch that is different than the second cholesteric liquid crystal material. In one example, the second cholesteric liquid crystal material is in the form of second particles. In another example, the first particles are dispersed in a matrix of the second cholesteric liquid crystal material. In other examples, the optical body has more than one layer. In addition, one or more additional cholesteric liquid crystal materials can be used in the optical body. These optical bodies can be used as a reflective polarizer and can be used in a display.

Abstract: A broad band cholesteric liquid crystal film of the present invention comprises a cholesteric liquid crystal film obtained by polymerizing a liquid crystal mixture containing a polymerizable mesogen compound (a), a polymerizable chiral agent (b) and a photopolymerization initiator (c) between two substrates with ultraviolet light, and has a reflection bandwidth of 200 nm or more. The broad band cholesteric liquid crystal film of the present invention has a broad reflection band and is excellent in durability.

Abstract: A double-sided display which can suitable carry out black display both in a well-lighted place and a dark place is provided. The following members are disposed in the B direction: a first polarizing plate (14) which allows only a linearly polarized light component to pass through; a liquid crystal layer (13) which, when a voltage is applied thereto, optically rotates and causes linearly polarized light in one direction to be linearly polarized light in the other direction, while, when no voltage is applied, does not alter the direction of the linearly polarized light; a polarizing selective reflector (16) which reflects the linearly polarized light in one direction while allows the linearly polarized light in the other direction to pass through; and a second polarizing plate (15) which absorbs the light in one direction while allows the light in the other direction to pass through. The polarizing selective reflector (16) is disposed only in the B direction of the liquid crystal layer (13).

Abstract: A component has a substrate (1) made of a transparent material, for example glass. On this layer (1), there is a linear polarizer (2) on which there is a layer (3) of a photo-oriented polymer network (PPN)(=LPP) which is oriented in locally varying fashion via its surface which covers the substrate. The layer (3) is adjoined by an anisotropic layer (4) of cross-linked liquid-crystal monomers. This layer (4) then has a molecular arrangement whose orientation is defined by the underlying orientation layer (3). The layer (4) will have been photocross-linked by exposure to a suitable wavelength of light, with the result that the molecular orientation defined by the PPN layer (3) is fixed. The element, denoted as a whole by 7, can then be used as an optical component which is protected against forgery, it being possible for the orientation pattern of the liquid-crystal layer or the optical information stored therein to be made visible by means of an external polarizer (5), for example.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display system and cell configuration is disclosed. The element has a first substrate, having a first substrate electrode and a second substrate having a second substrate electrode approximately parallel to the first substrate. In between the two substrates is sandwiched a cholesteric liquid crystalline material. The pitch of the cholesteric material can be controlled by at least two interdigitized electrodes, electrically separated from each other, arranged on the second substrate.

Abstract: An optical body includes a substrate and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer disposed on the substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the layer and comprises a crosslinked polymer material that substantially fixes the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. The crosslinking hinders diffusion of cholesteric liquid crystal material within the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. In other methods of making an optical body, a reservoir of chiral material is provided during the process over a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer to diffuse into the layer and provide a non-uniform pitch. Alternatively, two coating compositions can be disposed on a substrate where the material of the first coating composition is not substantially soluble in the second coating composition.