Abstract: Provided is an optical element including a substrate; a first at least partial coating of an at least partially ordered alignment medium connected to at least a portion of at least one surface of the substrate; a second at least partial coating of an alignment transfer material that is connected to and at least partially aligned with at least a portion of the at least partially ordered alignment medium; and a third at least partial coating connected to at least a portion of the alignment transfer material, the third coating including at least one anisotropic material that is at least partially aligned with at least a portion of the at least partially aligned alignment transfer material and at least one photochromic-dichroic compound that is at least partially aligned with at least a portion of the at least partially aligned anisotropic material.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to optical elements comprising an at least partial coating having a first state and a second state connected to at least a portion of a substrate, the at least partial coating being adapted to switch from the first state to the second state in response to at least actinic radiation, to revert back to the first state in response to thermal energy, and to linearly polarize at least transmitted radiation in at least one of the first state and the second state. Other embodiments relate to optical elements comprising a substrate and at least one at least partially aligned photochromic-dichroic compound connected to at least a portion of the substrate and having an average absorption ratio greater than 2.3 in the activated state as determined according to CELL METHOD. Still other embodiments relate to security devices, liquid crystal cells and methods of making the same.

Abstract: Described are photochromic articles that include a substrate and at least one photochromic material adopted to change from an unactivated form to an activated form upon exposure to actinic radiation. The activated form of the photochromic material changes from more absorbing to less absorbing of radiation in the absorption region of its unactivated form as the temperature increases from 10° C. to 35° C. The photochromic article demonstrates a more consistent photochromic response, for example, an optical density response loss of 50 percent or less over a temperature range of from 10° C. to 35° C. as measured in the Photochromic Temperature Dependence Test. Methods for producing the aforedescribed articles are also disclosed.

Abstract: Described is a photochromic polymer composition including the reaction product of at least one polymerizable photochromic material and at least one other copolymerizable material having a glass transition temperature of less than 23° C. upon polymerization. The photochromic polymer composition is adapted to provide an increased Fade Half Life in the Photochromic Polymer Performance Test as compared to the same photochromic compound used in the reaction product, but free of polymerizable groups. Also described are photochromic articles including the photochromic polymer composition.