Abstract: A reflective cholesteric display that may be viewed under a wide range of ambient lighting conditions, ranging from complete darkness to bright sunlight. The display includes a chiral nematic liquid crystal material located between first and second substrates, an ambidextrous or bi-directional circular polarizer, a partial mirror, also referred to as a transflector, and a light source. The liquid crystal material includes focal conic and planar textures that are stable in the absence of an electric field. The ambidextrous circular polarizer is located adjacent to one of the substrates that constrain the liquid crystal material. The chiral nematic liquid crystal display may be operated in both a transmissive mode and a reflective mode.

Abstract: A high contrast twisted nematic liquid crystal cell in which outgoing or reflected light is linearly polarized and has the same polarization angle as incoming or incident light when the cell is in an off state. Matching the polarization axes of incoming and outgoing light allows less light to pass through a final analyzer with the cell in an off state to provide a darker off state, and allows more light through with the cell in an on state, resulting in an enhanced contrast ratio display. A method of determining placement of optical retarders for enhanced contrast in a reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display device is also described.

Abstract: A high contrast twisted nematic liquid crystal cell in which outgoing or reflected light is linearly polarized and has the same polarization angle as incoming or incident light when the cell is in an off state. Matching the polarization axes of incoming and outgoing light allows less light to pass through a final analyzer with the cell in an off state to provide a darker off state, and allows more light through with the cell in an on state, resulting in an enhanced contrast ratio display. A method of determining placement of optical retarders for enhanced contrast in a reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display device is also described.

Abstract: A reflective cholesteric display that may be viewed under a wide range of ambient lighting conditions, ranging from complete darkness to bright sunlight. The display includes a chiral nematic liquid crystal material located between first and second substrates, an ambidextrous or bi-directional circular polarizer, a partial mirror, also referred to as a transflector, and a light source. The liquid crystal material includes focal conic and planar textures that are stable in the absence of an electric field. The ambidextrous circular polarizer is located adjacent to one of the substrates that constrain the liquid crystal material. The chiral nematic liquid crystal display may be operated in both a transmissive mode and a reflective mode.

Abstract: A liquid crystal material for a display device includes a first chiral nematic liquid crystal component and a second component that exhibits no liquid crystalline phase at any temperature. The second component is present in an amount effective to reduce the bulk viscosity of the liquid crystal material by at least about 26% at room temperature or is present in an amount of at least about 5% by weight based upon the total weight of the liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal material may have a positive dielectric anisotropy. The second component may have a molecular weight not exceeding 205 grams/mole. Embodiments relate to a display device comprising the present material. Another aspect includes a method of increasing the switching speed in a display that employs the present material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing liquid crystal on silicon devices uses asymmetric placement of scribes on silicon and glass substrate layers to maximize the yield of processed active matrix silicon wafers. Asymmetrical scribing minimizes a dimension from a gasket seal between the substrates to a lower bond pad edge. An opposite glass overhang provides an interconnect redundancy for an ITO plate or a repair site for electrical contact to the ITO plate. Methods of device separation employing partial sawing are also employed.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal heat valve is constructed to be controlled with multiple ectrode pairs. So constructed, it is controllable by alternating electric potentials in different phases applied to corresponding electrode pairs, thus increasing the maximum heat-transfer rate of the heat valve by increasing its duty cycle.

Abstract: An interferometer in Mach-Zehnder configuration comprises beamsplitters (10, 12) and mirrors (11, 13), which divide an optical beam whose wavefront is to be monitored into an information component and a reference component, and which recombine the information and reference components to form an interference pattern that changes dynamically at a spatial light modulator (14) in response to dynamic variations in the atmosphere through which the beam passes. A spatial light filter (15) comprising a plate with a pin-hole aperture is positioned to transmit the reference component of the beam, but with second-order aberrations being removed from the reference component prior to recombination of the information and reference components. The wavefront of the reference component that recombines with the information component is a substantially unaberrated version of the wavefront of the beam whose wavefront is to be monitored.