Nonlinear optical chromophore compositions which display lyotropic nematic liquid crystal phases in polar organic solvents and provide a mechanical anisotropic effect allowing for the formation of a non-centrosymmetric chromophore-polymer matrix without the application of an electric field.

Provided herein are ferroelectric nematic (N.sub.F) compositions comprising a ferroelectric nematic host and one or more nonlinear optical compounds (chromophores).

Disclosed herein is a light emitting device and method of manufacturing such a device comprised of a series of photopolymerizable, chiral liquid crystalline layers that can be solvent cast on a substrate. The mixture of chiral materials in each successive layer may be blended in such a way that each layer has the same chiral pitch. Further the chiral materials in each layer may also be blended so that the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices in each layer match the other layers such that the complete assembly of layers will optically function as a single relatively thick layer of chiral liquid crystal. The chiral nematic material in each layer can spontaneously adopt a helical structure with a helical pitch. The light emitting layers of the light emitting device can further comprise electroluminescent material that emits light into the band edge light propagation modes of the photonic crystal.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymerizable compound suitable as a material for optically anisotropic bodies having excellent optical properties, a composition containing the polymerizable compound, a polymer obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable compound, an optically anisotropic body formed of the polymer, and a liquid crystal display device including the optically anisotropic body.

The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, MG.sup.11, MG.sup.12, X.sup.11, X.sup.12 and Sp.sup.1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

A liquid crystal composition contains an achiral component T and a chiral dopant and exhibiting an optically isotropic liquid crystal phase. The achiral component T contains at least one compound represented by formula (1). ##STR00001##
In formula (1), R.sup.1 is alkyl having 1 to 12 carbons, alkenyl having 2 to 12 carbons, or alkoxy having 1 to 11 carbons, ring A.sup.1 and ring A.sup.2 independently represent one of the following formulae: ##STR00002##
Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2 and Z.sup.3 are independently a single bond, (CH.sub.2).sub.2, COO, CF.sub.2O or CHCH, X.sup.1 is hydrogen, halogen, CF.sub.3, OCF.sub.3 or CN, L.sup.1, L.sup.2, L.sup.3 and L.sup.4 are independently hydrogen or halogen, and i is 0, 1 or 2.

Nonlinear optical chromophore compositions which display lyotropic nematic liquid crystal phases in polar organic solvents and provide a mechanical anisotropic effect allowing for the formation of a non-centrosymmetric chromophore-polymer matrix without the application of an electric field.

##STR00001##

A polymer having a partial structure formed by performing radical polymerization with respect to a compound having a mesogenic group derived from at least one type of liquid crystal compound selected from a rod-like liquid crystal compound and a disk-like liquid crystal compound, and two or more polymerizable groups, in which the polymer is a branched polymer, and a composition containing the polymer, an optical film, and a liquid crystal display device.

The invention relates to bimesogenic compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, MG.sup.11, MG.sup.12, X.sup.11, X.sup.12 and Sp.sup.1 have the meaning given in claim 1, to the use of bimesogenic compounds of formula I in liquid crystal media and particular to flexoelectric liquid crystal devices comprising a liquid crystal medium according to the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a polymerizable compound suitable as a material for optically anisotropic bodies having excellent optical properties, a composition containing the polymerizable compound, a polymer obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable compound, an optically anisotropic body formed of the polymer, and a liquid crystal display device including the optically anisotropic body.