Reverse Mode and Wide Viewing Angle Properties in Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Cells Prepared Using a UV Curable Liquid Crystal

Abstract

Reverse mode properties have been achieved in novel polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) cells using a UV curable liquid crystal (LC) as a polymer matrix. A homogeneously aligned PDLC cell is composed of a nematic LC with positive dielectric anisotropy and the UV curable LC. Another type of the PDLC cell where the molecular alignment is homeotropic is prepared using a LC with negative dielectric anisotropy. These PDLC cells have a very wide viewing angle both in a highly transparent off-state and in a light scattering on-state due to the refractive index anisotropy of the matrix. Fast response and recovery properties of a few ms can be obtained in the homeotropically aligned PDLC cell.