Kent State University

Other

Ecsibeo Ab

Lachezar Komitov

Sang Hwa Kim

Liang-Chy Chien

The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics.

Polymer enhanced cholesteric electro-optical devices

In a preparation method, a chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoreactive monomer, and a photoinitiator are disposed in a liquid crystal cell. A principal surface of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated with ultraviolet light selected to have a non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile in the liquid crystal cell. The illuminating cooperates with the photoinitiator to polymerize at least a portion of the photoreactive monomer near the principal surface to generate a polymer network having a density corresponding to the non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile. The polymer network biases the liquid crystal toward a selected helical alignment direction. In some embodiments, the illuminating includes illuminating with first and second ultraviolet light intensity profiles to produce surface and volume polymer network components.

Method of fabricating electro-optical devices with polymer-stabilized liquid crystal molecules

An electro-optic device includes a liquid crystal cell (') and at least one electrode (&#x2032;) arranged to selectively electrically bias the liquid crystal cell (&#x2032;). A chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal (&#x2032;) is disposed in the liquid crystal cell (&#x2032;). The liquid crystal (&#x2032;) has an optic axis substantially along a selected optic axis direction in the absence of an electrical bias. A polymeric network () is disposed at an inside surface of the liquid crystal cell (&#x2032;). The polymeric network () extends partway into the liquid crystal cell (&#x2032;) leaving at least a portion of the liquid crystal cell (&#x2032;) substantially free of the polymeric network ().

Growing community of inventors

Kent, OH, United States of America

Sang Hwa Kim