A liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which comprises one or more compounds of each of formulae T and L ##STR00001##
in which the parameters have the meanings given in the claims and in the text. The use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type. Also, the compounds of formulae T and L and their use for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

A polymerizable LC material comprising one or more reactive mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds and a block copolymer that comprises at least one polyfluorooxetane block bonded to a polyether block, said polyfluorooxetane block having a repeating unit of the formula

##STR00001##

Further, a method for its preparation, a polymer film obtainable from a corresponding polymerizable LC material, a method of preparation of such polymer film, and the use of such polymer film and said polymerizable LC material in optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

A double layer liquid crystal device comprises a first and a second layer with orthogonal or crossed alignment of the liquid crystal phase of the two layers, in which the first and second layer have first and second alignment aids comprised of a polymerized or polymerizable molecular compound. The layers are aligned by UV photoalignment and vertical self-alignment by the aid of suitable additives.

Provided is an optically anisotropic film exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility with excellent thickness-direction phase differences, a laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The optically anisotropic film of an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following Requirements 1 to 4. Requirement 1: In a case of irradiation with P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are linearly polarized light perpendicular to each other, from a direction inclined by 45° from a normal direction of a film surface of the optically anisotropic film, an absorption intensity ratio in a case of irradiation with S-polarized light to an absorption intensity in a case of irradiation with P-polarized light is 1.02 or more in an absorption intensity at a wavelength having a largest absorption in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. Requirement 2: Re(550)<10 nm, Requirement 3: Re(800)<10 nm. Requirement 4: Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystal (LC) media having negative dielectric anisotropy comprising one or more compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

and one, two, three or more compounds of formula III

##STR00002##

as defined in claim 1, and to the use of the LC media for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular useful to enable energy-saving LC displays of the VA, IPS or FFS type.

To suppress a phenomenon where an optical axis of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted when the optically anisotropic layer is produced by using a liquid crystalline compound showing smectic phase as a materials showing a higher level of orderliness. An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10° or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer, a method for manufacturing the same, a laminate and a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal display device, and an organic EL display device.

A liquid-crystal (LC) medium comprising polymerizable compounds, its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in LC displays of the PSA (polymer sustained alignment) or SA (self-aligning) mode, an LC display of the PSA or SA mode comprising the LC medium, and a process of manufacturing the LC display.

The invention relates to a polymerisable LC material comprising at least one di- or multireactive mesogenic compound and at least one compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

in which the parameter R.sup.1, A.sup.1, Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, n, Sp, P, p1, p2, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, r1, r2, m and R.sup.2 have one of the meanings as given in claim 1. Furthermore, the present invention relates also to a method for the preparation of a polymerisable LC material, a polymer film obtainable from the corresponding polymerisable LC material, to a method of preparation of such polymer film, and to the use of such polymer film and said polymerisable LC material for optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

A liquid crystal composition, which is a material used for an element for electromagnetic wave signal control in a frequency range of 1 GHz to 10 THz, satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a wide temperature range of a nematic phase and a large refractive index anisotropy and a small dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) in the frequency region used for control, and has an excellent balance of characteristics, and an element containing the composition. A liquid crystal composition including: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Formula (1). For example, R.sup.1 is C1-12 alkyl; Z.sup.11 is a single bond; L.sup.11, L.sup.12, L.sup.13 and L.sup.18 are hydrogen; L.sup.17 is methyl; Y.sup.11 and Y.sup.22 are hydrogen; and a, b, and c are respectively 0, 1, and 0.

##STR00001##

Provided is a compound which is capable of reducing a tilt angle of a liquid crystal molecule, and a polymerizable composition, a cured product, an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each using the compound. The compound is represented, for example, by Formula (I), P-Sp-Z-G.sup.1-(X.sup.1-Cy.sup.1)n-(X.sup.2-A.sup.1)m-X.sup.3-A.sup.2.