Dual frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal light shutter and driving waveform
First Claim
1. A liquid crystal shutter, comprising:
- a cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between first and second substrates comprising a first layer having a first twist sense and a second layer having a second twist sense opposite said first twist sense, wherein a third substrate is interposed between said first and second substrates to separate said first and second layers; and
means for simultaneously addressing said first and second layers with at least two distinct ranges of frequency of an electric filed, wherein application of a low range of frequency between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates causes said layers to exhibit a positive dielectric anisotropy and wherein application of a high range of frequency between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates causes said layers to exhibit a negative dielectric anisotropy, wherein said negative dielectric anisotropy causes said material to be switched to a state which reflects both right and left circularly polarized light incident thereto within a predetermined spectrum of light while allowing remaining spectrums of light to be transmitted through said substrates, and wherein said positive dielectric anisotropy causes said material to be switched to a state which is transparent.
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Abstract
A liquid crystal shutter and a drive waveform for controlling the same is presented by this invention. The liquid crystal shutter includes two distinct layers of liquid crystal material where one layer has a right hand twist sense and the other layer has a left hand twist sense. An electric field is selectively applied to the layers of liquid crystal material which have dual frequency properties. Accordingly, when a low frequency is applied to the liquid crystal materials they exhibit a positive dielectric anisotropy and a homeotropic texture which is substantially transparent. When a high frequency electric field is applied to the liquid crystal materials they exhibit a negative dielectric anisotropy and a planar texture which is substantially reflective. The liquid crystal material may be selected to selectively reflect predetermined spectrums of light. By alternatingly applying low and high frequencies to the liquid crystal shutter, the transition time between the transparent and reflective states is minimized.
92 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal shutter, comprising:
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a cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between first and second substrates comprising a first layer having a first twist sense and a second layer having a second twist sense opposite said first twist sense, wherein a third substrate is interposed between said first and second substrates to separate said first and second layers; and means for simultaneously addressing said first and second layers with at least two distinct ranges of frequency of an electric filed, wherein application of a low range of frequency between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates causes said layers to exhibit a positive dielectric anisotropy and wherein application of a high range of frequency between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates causes said layers to exhibit a negative dielectric anisotropy, wherein said negative dielectric anisotropy causes said material to be switched to a state which reflects both right and left circularly polarized light incident thereto within a predetermined spectrum of light while allowing remaining spectrums of light to be transmitted through said substrates, and wherein said positive dielectric anisotropy causes said material to be switched to a state which is transparent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for addressing a liquid crystal shutter comprising the steps of:
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providing a cholesteric liquid crystal material between first and second substrates, said material having a first layer with a first rotational twist sense and a second layer with a second rotational twist sense; providing a third substrate between said first and second substrates to separate said first layer from said second layer; simultaneously applying a first frequency electric field between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates to cause said first and second layers to obtain a first texture; simultaneously applying a second frequency electric field between said first and third substrates and between said second and third substrates to cause said first and second layers to obtain a second texture. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification