Anisotropic liquid crystal gels for switchable polarizers and displays

An anisotropic liquid crystal gel with low operating voltage, high contrast ratio, broad bandwidth, wide viewing angle, and fast response time was demonstrated. In the voltage-off state, the gel is highly transparent. When the gel is activated by an electric field, light scattering occurs for the polarization along the molecular axis. By incorporating a lambda/4 film between the gel and a reflector, this reflective device is useful for modulating unpolarized light. Potential applications of such anisotropic gel as a broadband switchable polarizer, reflective display, and transflective display are emphasized. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.