NEMATIC DROPLET POLYMER-FILMS FOR HIGH-CONTRAST COLORED REFLECTIVE DISPLAYS

Nematic droplet/polymer films incorporating dichroic dyes can be used to make a new class of high-contrast, high-brightness, coloured, reflective displays. The microscopic operation of these films is described, and the absorbance properties of the film are related to both dye order parameter and the alignment of the nematic within the film. The importance of scattering effects in producing high-contrast displays is described, and the measured reflectance of a display is modelled using the absorbance and scattering properties of the film. CIE L*u*V* colour difference measurements are used to quantify the performance of the film. Typical constructions of display devices are described, and future applications of this new class of devices are considered.