Polymer dispersed ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal formed by inducing a force during phase separation
First Claim
1. A method for forming a light modulating material comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a solution having a mesogenic component capable of forming a ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal phase and a medium-forming component capable of forming a light transmissive polymer medium;
b) inducing a force in the solution to promote alignment of molecules of the mesogenic component along a direction relative to a surface of the solution; and
c) solidifying the medium-forming component while the force is induced to promote phase separation of microdomains of the ferro-electric smectic phase from the polymeric medium.
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Abstract
Disclosed is a class of light modulating materials comprising microdomains of ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal dispersed in a light-transmissive polymer medium. The microdomains are formed by phase separation of the liquid crystal from solution with the polymer as the polymer is solidified. The switching of the liquid crystal may be either monostable or multistable (e.g., bistable), depending on the liquid crystal and polymer. The material modulates light in either a scattering-transmissive mode or a birefringence mode. Materials operating in the scattering-transmissive mode do not require polarizers, Advantages of the materials include switching times down to the order of microseconds or less, multistable optical states, wide viewing angles and high contrast.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for forming a light modulating material comprising the steps of:
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a) forming a solution having a mesogenic component capable of forming a ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal phase and a medium-forming component capable of forming a light transmissive polymer medium; b) inducing a force in the solution to promote alignment of molecules of the mesogenic component along a direction relative to a surface of the solution; and c) solidifying the medium-forming component while the force is induced to promote phase separation of microdomains of the ferro-electric smectic phase from the polymeric medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification