Abstract: An optical lens is provided which comprises at least one layer of a birefringent material wherein the birefringent material has a crystal structure formed by at least one polycyclic organic compound with conjugated ?-system, and an intermolecular spacing of 3.4±0.3 ? is in the direction of at least one of optical axes.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optically anisotropic composite film material possessing improved working characteristics, including hydrolytic stability and mechanical strength with respect to environmental factors. These and other advantages of the present invention may be achieved by creating a supramolecular composite film material. This supramolecular composite film material comprises a matrix of thin crystal film composed of organic supramolecules containing polar groups, and a binding agent representing a water-soluble aliphatic compound containing at least two functional groups. The present invention further provides a method for manufacturing supramolecular composite film materials possessing these advantageous properties.

Abstract: The invention belongs to polarizing devices and can be used in lighting equipment, manufacturing construction-material glasses, and in displays. The proposed dichroic polarizer includes a substrate and at least one layer dichroically absorbing electromagnetic radiation, into which two reflecting coatings are introduced, at least one of which is made partially transmitting. The layer dichroically absorbing electromagnetic radiation is located between the reflecting coatings. The materials and thicknesses of layers of both the dichroically absorbing electromagnetic radiation and the reflecting coatings are selected from the requirements to obtain, at the exit of the dichroic polarizer, an interference minimum for the absorbing component of electromagnetic radiation for, at least, one wavelength value.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods of obtaining anisotropic crystalline films and to devices for carrying out the methods. A colloidal system with anisometric particles is applied as a film onto the surface of a substrate while the viscosity of the colloidal system is lowered. The particles of the colloidal system with lowered viscosity are oriented and the original viscosity of the colloidal system is restored. The film is then dried. The drying is carried out under controlled conditions. Zones of the dried film may be progressively heated to improve the film characteristics.

Abstract: Optical waveguides of the type which include a light-transmitting core and a cladding layer on said core. The optical waveguide can be planar or cylindrical such as an optical fiber. The optical waveguide is provided with an additional coating of highly biaxial or uniaxial crystalline material with different refraction indices in different directions.

Abstract: This invention pertains to technology of fabricating thin films featuring anisotropic properties such as: optical, magnetic, electric conductivity and others. In particular, this invention is related to devices for obtaining polarizing films from liquid-crystalline solutions of organic materials, for example organic dyes. The disclosed method and device permits the fabrication of anisotropic films from liquid-crystalline solution with high characteristics and high degree of perfection of the oriented structure with significant reproducibility of results. The device makes use of a mechanical element for receiving and guiding the liquid crystal solution onto a substrate and then providing an orienting action to the kinetic elements as they are delivered.

Abstract: A decorative material is disclosed which comprises two polarizers and at least one phase-shifting plate placed between the polarizers. Each polarizer has a controlled direction of polarization axis. The phase-shifting plate represents a continuous layer of an optically anisotropic material containing regions differing by optical properties.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display is provided which comprises front and rear panels, and electrodes, polarizers and a layer of liquid crystal disposed between the front and rear panels. The polarizer on the rear panel is preferably a reflecting type in at least one region of the spectrum and contains at least one element in the form of a multilayer structure. The multilayer structure contains at least two anisotropic layers separated by at least one intermediate layer which is optically transparent in the desired spectral region. The ratio of refraction indices and thickness of the layers in the multilayer structure is chosen such to provide an extremum for the ratio of the transmitted and reflected polarized light in the spectral region.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the field of fabrication of devices of various purposes, which use anisotropic films: polarizers, retarders, etc., as well as technology of obtaining coatings with anisotropy of electric conductivity, magnetic properties, thermal conduction and other physical properties. The invention includes the method of forming anisotropic crystal film on a receptor plate via transferring it from the donor plate Implementing the disclosed invention preserves the high degree of anisotropy and optical parameters of crystal films after the transfer. Additionally, it is possible to form anisotropic coatings on the surface of any configuration (including curved) and different degree of roughness; also, it is possible to transfer films of various sizes and configurations as well as multilayer coatings containing anisotropic film and form color images.

Abstract: A liquid crystal shutter is provided comprising at least two liquid crystal cells and at least three polarizers. Each of the liquid crystal cells contains a plurality of layers between two substrates and is disposed between two adjacent polarizers. The adjacent two liquid crystal cells have substantially equal absolute values and opposite directions of twist angles. The liquid crystal shutter of the invention substantially increases the viewing angle and the contrast ratio at large viewing angles, provides a symmetrical dependence of the contrast ratio on the viewing angle, and decreases the switching time as well as the driving voltages. The shutter provides substantially improved angular characteristics, high contrast ratio, good transparency in the light state, and a fast switching time.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the field of electronic devices and essentially relates to smart cards (electronic cards) including a display that comprises a liquid-crystal indication element with an internal polarizer. This invention also relates to a method for manufacturing this card. The purpose of this invention is to simplify the structure of the electronic card, to provide a single process for manufacturing the card together with the display, to reduce the thickness of the card, to improve the mechanical strength, the manufacturability and the economical characteristics of said card and to increase its reliability.

Abstract: An electrooptical device is provided comprising at least one substrate, at least one pair of electrodes and at least one layer of an electrooptical material. The electrooptical material represents an optically anisotropic thin crystal film and contains molecules having aromatic rings and possessing a lattice with an interplanar spacing (Bragg's reflection) of 3.4±0.2 {acute over (Å)} along one of optical axes. The electrooptical material has anisotropic refractive indices and/or anisotropic absorption coefficients that are depended on an electric field strength.

Abstract: Anisotropic films based on sulforderivatives of phenanthro-9′,10′:2,3-quinoxaline are disclosed. These compounds form liquid crystal and lyotropic liquid crystal systems that exhibit excellent optical properties with films that are significantly thinner than the current state of the art. The liquid crystal systems may be deposited on substrates or other film materials for use in a wide variety of commercial applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to heat-resistant and plarizers that use thin films of dichroic organic substances, mainly dichroic dyes applied on the surface of rigid or flexible substrates in which the molecules of the dichroic organic substance are arranged in the form of a crystalline grid. The purpose of this invention is to widen the spectral range of the polarizer operation while improving polarization characteristics. This dichroic polarizer includes a film having a portion at least consisting of a crystalline structure that comprises at least one dichroic organic substance, wherein the molecules or molecule fragments of this substance have a planar morphology. The dichroic substance consists of a dichroic substance having at least one crest on the spectral absorption curve within spectral ranges of 400 to 700 nm and/or 200 to 400 nm and 0.7 to 13 &mgr;m.

Abstract: Optical waveguides of the type which include a light-transmitting core and a cladding layer in said core. The optical waveguide can be planar or cylindrical such as an optical fiber. The optical waveguide is provided with an additional coating of highly biaxial or uniaxial crystalline material with different refraction indices in different directions.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a first substrate plate and a second substrate plate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the plates. A polarizing coating, having molecules of one or more organic dyes capable of forming a lyotropic liquid crystalline phase, is formed overlying a selected surface of each plate. Orientation of the polarizing coating is obtained by applying a force to the dye molecules when in the liquid crystal phase and subsequently converting the liquid crystal phase to a solid film.

Abstract: The invention pertains to technological apparatus' for production of polarizers, obtained from lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) based on organic compounds, in particular, dyes. The technological production line for polarizer formation comprises at least one system of formation of polarizer films from LLC of at least one organic compound, at least one system of local removal of the polarizer film material obtained from LLC of at least one organic compound, at least one substrate holder and at least one means of relative movement. Also introduced, an apparatus for formation of polarizer films from LLC of at least one organic compound and a system of localized removal of polarizer films obtained from LLC of at least one organic compound.

Abstract: Polarizing coatings are formed from dyestuffs which provide a stable liquid crystalline phase in a wide range of concentrations, temperatures and pH-values. Particles formed by aggregates of the liquid crystal molecules are oriented in a predetermined direction to polarize light. The stability of the liquid crystalline state allows orienting the particles by mechanical forces such as a shearing force applied when the liquid crystal (10) is spread on a support surface (20) by a knife-like doctor (90) or a tension deformation force acting on the meniscus of the liquid crystal deposited between two surfaces (20, 30) as the surfaces are peeled off one another. As a result, the polarizing coatings are formed in some embodiments by simple methods. In some embodiments, the polarizing coatings have a high lightfastness, a high thermal stability, and a high dichroic ratio.

Abstract: The present invention provides dyes of formula I-XXXIV, described in detail below, and dichroic light polarizers based on the dyes. In the dichroic light polarizers of this invention the dye molecules are aggregated into particles oriented in a predetermined direction on a surface of a substrate to enable the dye to polarize light transmitted through the dye. In another embodiment, a dichroic light polarizer includes a molecularly oriented layer of an organic dye on a surface of a substrate. The layer has a non-periodic arrangement of different polarizing elements. Each of the polarizing elements have differing orientations of the polarization vector in the substrate plane and/or differing colors. The dichroic light polarizer may contain one or more additional dye layers and may have a transparent layer intermediate to the dye layer.