Abstract: A liquid crystal composition, comprising: at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## and at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (II):R.sup.3 --X.sup.3 --A.sup.2 --B--A.sup.3 --X.sup.4 --R.sup.4(II),The liquid crystal composition is easily aligned by a simple rubbing method to provide a uniform monodomain and further provides wider driving voltage and temperature margins effective for providing a practical ferroelectric liquid crystal device.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition, comprising: at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (I):R.sup.1 --X.sup.1 --A.sup.1 --B--A.sup.2 --X.sup.2 --R.sup.2(I)and at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR1## The liquid crystal composition is easily aligned by a simple rubbing method to provide a uniform monodomain and further provides wider driving voltage and temperature margins effective for providing a practical ferroelectric liquid crystal device.

Abstract: A ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal composition, comprising at least one compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; R.sub.2 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-14 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 respectively denote a single bond, --O--, ##STR2## m is 0-7; and n is 0 or 1; and at least one compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 respectively denote a linear alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms and one --CH.sub.2 -- not bonded to X.sub.4 in the alkyl group can be replaced with --O--; X.sub.3 and X.sub.4 respectively denote a single bond, --O--, ##STR4## and p and q are respectively 0, 1 or 2 with proviso that both of p and q are not 0.

Abstract: A mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 respectively denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-16 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; Y.sub.1 denotes --COO--, --OCO--, --CH.sub.2 --or --OCH.sub.2 --; Z.sub.1 denotes a single bond, --O--, --COO--, --OCO-- or --OCOO--; and X denotes a halogen, cyano group or methyl group.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition, comprising: at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of including one or non-neighboring two or more methylene groups which can be replaced with at least one species of --O--, --CO--, --COO--, --OCO--, --OCOO-- or --CH(X)-- with the proviso that --O-- cannot directly be connected to --O-- and X denotes halogen; Z.sup.1 denotes --COO-- or --CH.sub.2 O--; X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 independently denote a single bond, --O--, --COO--, --OCO--, --CO-- or --OCOO--; A.sup.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR2## Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 independently denote hydrogen, halogen, --CH.sub.3 -- or CF.sub.3 --; and at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR3## wherein R.sup.3 and R.sup.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprising a substrate and a thin organic film containing at least one kind of dye selected from polymethine family dyes, perylium family dyes, and cyanine family dyes, and a recording process comprising scanning the optical recording medium with a high intensity light beam such as a laser beam to form optically detectable pits on the recording medium.

Abstract: A ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal composition, comprising at least one compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; X.sub.1 denotes a single bond, --O-- or ##STR2## Z denotes a single bond or ##STR3## denotes ##STR4## and n is an integer of 1-12; and at least one compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR5## wherein R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 respectively denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent, at lease one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 being optically active; X.sub.2 and X.sub.

Abstract: A ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal composition, comprising at least one optically active compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 denotes a linear alkyl group having 1-14 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-14 carbon atoms capable of having a subtituent; and X.sub.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR2## and at least one compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; R.sub.4 denotes a linear alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms; X.sub.

Abstract: A ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal composition, comprising at least one compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein, R.sub.1 denotes a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; R.sub.2 denotes a linear alkyl group having 1-12 carbon atoms; X.sub.1 denote a single bond, --O--, ##STR2## respectively denote ##STR3## and at least one compound represented by the following formula (II): ##STR4## wherein R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 respectively denote a linear or branched alkyl group having 1-18 carbon atoms capable of having a substituent; X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 respectively denote a single bond, --O--, ##STR5## and m and n are respectively 0, 1 or 2 with proviso that m+n is 2 or above.

Abstract: An optically active lactic acid derivative represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of a linear, branched or cyclic structure having 4 to 20 carbon atoms; Ra is --CO--Rb or --CH.sub.2 --Rc wherein Rb is a releasable chemically active group, and Rc is a releasable chemically active group; and C with * represents an asymmetric carbon atom.

Abstract: An optically active mesomorphic compound represented by the formula (III) is obtained through an optically active compound represented by the formula (I) and then through a compound represented by the formula (II), respectively, shown below. ##STR1## In the above formulas, R represents a linear, branched or cyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-18 carbon atoms each capable of having a substituent, C* represents an asymmetric carbon atom, k is an integer of from 2 to 5, A is a releasable active group such as hydroxyl, l is 0 or 1, and when l is 1, m is 0, 1 or 2 and n is 0 or 1; R.sup.1 represents an alkyl or alkoxy group having 1-18 carbon atoms; ##STR2## respectively denote ##STR3## p, q and r are respectively 0 or 1 satisfying the relation of p+q+r.gtoreq.1.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device having a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal composition interposed between the pair of base plates. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal showing at least a chiral smectic phase and a liquid crystal showing at least a cholesteric phase. At least one of the pair of base plates has a face which has been provided with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a chiral smectic liquid crystal showing a first and a second orientation state disposed between first and second electrodes of a liquid cell. A drive circuit applies voltages between the first and second electrodes including voltages .vertline.V.sub.S .vertline. and .vertline.V.sub.I .vertline. which provide voltages V.sub.A and V.sub.B (V.sub.B V.sub.A) satisfying the relationship of: .vertline.(V.sub.A -V.sub.B)/(V.sub.A +V.sub.B).vertline.>0.1 at 40.degree. C. V.sub.A is a minimum peak value of a voltage .vertline.V.sub.S .vertline.+.vertline.V.sub.I .vertline. (at a constant pulse width) capable of inverting the first orientation state of the chiral smectic liquid crystal into the second orientation state when a voltage pulse is applied between the first and second electrodes to cause the first orientation state of the chiral smectic liquid crystal and then the voltage .vertline.V.sub.S .vertline.+.vertline.V.sub.I .vertline.

Abstract: An optically active lactic acid derivative represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R represents a linear, branched or cyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; C* represents an asymmetric carbon atom; l is 0 or 1; m is 1 or 2; A represents a group selected from the following groups (a) and (b):(a) hydroxyl group, halogen, benzyloxy group, phenoxy group, toluenesulfonic acid group, acetyloxy group, trifluoroacetyloxy group; ##STR2## (wherein R' is an alkyl group or alkoxy group having 4 to 18 carbon atoms, n is 0 or 1, ##STR3## with proviso that when A is selected from the groups in the above group (a), l is 1 and m is 1 or 2; and when A is selected from the groups in the above group (b), m=n=1 when l is 0, or m and n are 0, 1 or 2 and m+n is 1 or 2 when l is 1, and ##STR4##

Abstract: A driving method for an optical modulation device comprising matrix picture elements each formed at intersecting points of scanning lines and data lines between which a bistable optical modulation material represented by a ferroelectric liquid crsytal is interposed. The driving method comprises an erasure step of applying a voltage signal orienting the optical modulation material to the first stable state between the scanning and data lines, at all or a part of the matrix picture elements, and a writing step of sequentially applying a scanning selection signal to the scanning lines and applying an information orientation signal orienting the optical modulation material to the second stable state to the data lines in phase with the scanning selection signal.

Abstract: A method for driving an optical modulation device of the type in which a group of scanning electrodes and a group of signal electrodes are so arranged that picture elements are defined at the intersections therebetween and a bistable optical modulation material assuming either one of two stable states depending an electrical field applied is interposed between the two groups of electrodes, comprising: a first phase in which the bistable optical modulation material at the picture elements on an N-th scanning electrode is oriented to one stable state, a second phase in which a writing signal is applied to the signal electrodes in synchronism with a scanning signal to the N-th scanning electrode and a third phase in which the bistable optical modulation material at the picture elements on an N+1-th scanning electrode is oriented to the one stable state.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprising a substrate and a thin organic film containing at least one kind of dye selected from polymethine family dyes, perylium family dyes, and cyanine family dyes, and a recording process comprising scanning the optical recording medium with a high intensity light beam such as a laser beam to form optically detectable pits on the recording medium.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprising a substrate and a thin organic film containing at least one kind of dye selected from polymethine family dyes, perylium family dyes, and cyanine family dyes, and a recording process comprising scanning the optical recording medium with a high intensity light beam such as a laser beam to form optically detectable pits on the recording medium.

Abstract: An optically active 4-alkylbenzenethiol and an optically active bis(4-alkylphenyl)disulfide represented by the formula: ##STR1## respectively, R.sub.1 * and R.sub.2 * are respectively an alkyl group having 1-12 carbon atoms including an asymmetric carbon atom, may be prepared, e.g., through halogenation or sulfonation of an optically active alcohol, followed by reaction with a phenylmagnesium halide, chlorosulfonylation and reduction. The optically active thiol or disulfide is effective, e.g., in preventing occurrence of reverse domain when added to a nematic liquid crystal, and also can be bonded to an intermediate to provide a functional material including a mesomorphic compound represented by the formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.3 is an alkyl or alkoxy group having 1-18 carbon atoms, n is 1 or 2, and C* is an asymmetric carbon atom.

Abstract: There is disclosed a mesomorphic compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## wherein A.sub.1 denotes a single bond, ##STR2## denotes ##STR3## X denotes hydrogen, a halogen or cyano group; Y denotes oxygen or sulfur; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 respectively denotes a linear or branched alkyl, alkoxy, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkoxycarbonyl or alkoxycarbonyloxy group each having 1-18 carbon atoms and each capable of having a substituted of chloro, bromo, cyano, alkoxy or akoxycarbonyl group; and B denotes ##STR4## A ferroelectric liquid crystal composition comprises at least two mesomorphic compounds including at least one mesomorphic compound represented by the formula (I). A ferroelectric liquid crystal device is constituted by disposing the ferroelectric liquid crystal composition between a pair of substrates.