LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES
First Claim
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2. Device of claim 1 in which the said interface is substantially free of non-liquid crystalline molecules of a greatest dimension as long as that of the greatest dimension of the molecules of the liquid crystalline material.
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Abstract
Liquid crystal devices, an operation state of which is dependent upon substantially unidirectional liquid crystal orientation, includes a contacting surface which has parallel grooves or ridges. Liquid crystal orientation is attributed to minimization of elastic energy.
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Citations
21 Claims
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2. Device of claim 1 in which the said interface is substantially free of non-liquid crystalline molecules of a greatest dimension as long as that of the greatest dimension of the molecules of the liquid crystalline material.
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3. Device of claim 1 together with means for altering the alignment of at least a portion of the said liquid crystalline material.
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4. Device of claim 3 in which the same means includes at least one conductive electrode having a major face substantially parallel to the said interface.
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5. Device of claim 4 in which the said means includes two conductive electrodes which straddle at least a portion of the said liquid crystalline material.
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6. Device of claim 5 in which the said electrodes are in intimate contact with the said liquid crystalline material.
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7. Device of claim 6 in which there is a layer of additional material intermediate at least one of the said electrodes and the said liquid crystalline material which affects the wetting angle of the said liquid crystalline material.
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8. Device of claim 7 in which the said additional layer is a surfactant which causes the said liquid crystalline material to align parallel to the said interface.
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9. Device of claim 4 in which the said change in alignment results in a second aligned state.
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10. Device of claim 9 in which the said second aligned state is essentially orthoganal to the said interface.
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11. Device of claim 9 in which the second aligned state is parallel to the said interface.
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12. Device of claim 3 in which there are two layers of non-liquid crystalline material both in intimate contact with the said layer of liquid crystalline material.
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13. Device of claim 4 in which the surfaces of both of the said layers of non-liquid crystalline material contain elevational variations as described and in which the interface is formed between the said liquid crystalline material and the two layers of non-liquid crystalline material are substantially parallel.
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14. Device of claim 13 in which the elevational variations of the two said surfaces are substantially parallel.
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15. Device of claim 14 including at least one element which is selectively transmissive for one sense of plane polarized light.
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16. Device of claim 13 in which the said elevational variations of the said two non-liquid crystalline layers are essentially non-parallel.
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17. Device of claim 16 in which the said elevational variations are essentially orthoganal.
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18. Device of claim 17 including at least one additional element which is selectively transmissive for one sense of plane polarized light.
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19. Device of claim 3 in which the said means includes means for changing temperature of the said liquid crystalline material.
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20. Device of claim 19 in which the second state is essentially disaligned.
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21. Device of claim 1 in which the layer consisting essentially of the said liquid crystalline includes a chemical species which is light-absorbent which is composed of elongated molecules and in which their major axes are aligned substantially with the major axes of the molecules of the said liquid crystalline material.
Specification