An optical system that includes a cholesteric glassy liquid crystal film doped with a dye and configured to preferentially absorb light of a first handedness, such as left-hand circularly polarized (LCP) light, but pass light of the opposite handedness, such a right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) light. Adding an anti-reflection coating can further increase the transmission-to-reflection ratio.

A liquid crystal composite material is disclosed, including a polymer matrix, and a light-blocking body dispersed in the polymer matrix, wherein when no voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is randomly oriented so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a black state, and wherein when a voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is orderly oriented and the polymer matrix scatters incident light, so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a scattering state. A light switching device, a display device and methods for manufacturing the liquid crystal composite material, the light switching device, and the display device are further disclosed.

A liquid crystal element including: two substrates having a transparent conductive layer formed thereon, the substrates being arranged so that the transparent conductive layers face each other, and a liquid crystal-polymer composite film sandwiched between the two substrates having a transparent conductive layer, wherein the liquid crystal-polymer composite film includes a polymer matrix and a liquid crystal composition surrounded by the polymer matrix, the liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal component and a dichroic dye, the liquid crystal component has positive dielectric constant anisotropy, and has an NI point of 110° C. or higher and 150° C. or lower, the liquid crystal component has a refractive index anisotropy of 0.01 or more and 0.1 or less, and the liquid crystal-polymer composite film can be switched between a transparent state and a colored state by applying a voltage.

A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a first electrode disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and adjacent to the first substrate, a second electrode disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and adjacent to the second substrate, a first alignment film disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and adjacent to the first electrode, a second alignment film disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and adjacent to the second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal portion containing liquid crystal molecules, and a hydrophobic portion containing a hydrophobic material, the liquid crystal portion and the hydrophobic portion are phase-separated from each other, and the hydrophobic portion includes fluorine.

A linear polarizer may be formed a blue dichroic dye compound, having a maximum dichroic ratio Kd12 in an entire visible wavelength range, and a red dichroic dye compound, having a maximum dichroic ratio Kd16 in the entire visible wavelength range. The linear polarizer has a dichroic ratio Kd18 and a thickness of less than or equal to 2 micrometers. The linear polarizer may form an achromatic polarizer.

A liquid crystal composite material is disclosed, including a polymer matrix, and a light-blocking body dispersed in the polymer matrix, wherein when no voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is randomly oriented so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a black state, and wherein when a voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is orderly oriented and the polymer matrix scatters incident light, so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a scattering state. A light switching device, a display device and methods for manufacturing the liquid crystal composite material, the light switching device, and the display device are further disclosed.

The present application relates to a device for regulating the passage of light which is characterised in that it comprises a layer comprising a liquid-crystalline mixture containing a characteristic structural element.

The present invention provides, as a composition containing a smectic liquid crystal compound which can be used for production of a homogeneous optical film at a temperature around room temperature, a composition containing a smectic liquid crystal compound having a 1,4-cyclohexyl group, which smectic liquid crystal compound having the 1,4-cyclohexyl group contains (i) 100 parts by mass of a smectic liquid crystal compound having a trans-1,4-cyclohexyl group and (ii) 0.1 parts by mass to 10 parts by mass of a smectic liquid crystal compound having a cis-1,4-cyclohexyl group.

There are provided a liquid crystal composition containing one or two or more compounds represented by general formula (L) and three or four or more dichroic dyes selected from azo compounds, and a guest-host liquid crystal display device or light-controlling device that uses the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition according to the present invention contains dichroic dyes that satisfy high contrast, high solubility, high nematic-isotropic transition temperature (T.sub.NI), and low birefringent anisotropy (n) effective for high light resistance and high thermal resistance at the same time. The use of the liquid crystal composition according to the present invention provides a liquid crystal display device or a light-controlling device that exhibits a good-looking black color and has high contrast, high display quality, and high practicality.

The present invention relates to an anthraquinone compound represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), R1 represents a C1-9 alkyl group and R2 represents a C1-8 alkyl group): a yellow dichroic pigment that includes this compound; a liquid crystal composition for light control that contains this yellow dichroic pigment and a liquid crystal material; and a light control element that uses this composition. ##STR00001##