There is provided a liquid crystal composition that exhibits a sufficiently low viscosity (η), a sufficiently low rotational viscosity (γ1), and a large elastic modulus (K.sub.33) without decreasing the refractive index anisotropy (Δn) and the nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature (T.sub.ni) and without increasing the solid phase-nematic phase transition temperature (T.sub.cn). The liquid crystal display element that uses this liquid crystal composition satisfactorily obtains a pretilt angle and has a high voltage holding ratio (VHR) and high-speed response. Thus, a liquid crystal display element that has no or less alignment defects and display defects such as image sticking, and has high display quality and high response speed is obtained.

Provided is a manufacturing method for an optically anisotropic film in which a tilt angle of a liquid crystal compound is controlled to be constant in a thickness direction. The method includes, in the following order, steps of applying a photo-alignment composition onto a base material to form a photo-alignment composition layer, irradiating a surface of the photo-alignment composition layer with a non-polarized and collimated ultraviolet ray in an oblique direction, applying the liquid crystal composition onto the photo-alignment composition layer irradiated with the ultraviolet ray to form a liquid crystal composition layer, a applying a magnetic field to the liquid crystal composition layer along a direction substantially parallel to an irradiation direction of the ultraviolet ray in irradiating step at a temperature at which the liquid crystal composition in the liquid crystal composition layer exhibits an alignment state, and curing the liquid crystal composition layer.

The present invention relates to polymerizable liquid crystalline formulations and especially to an ink formulation for inkjet printing comprising 10 to 50% w/w of one or more polymerizable liquid crystalline compounds and 50 to 90% w/w of one or more organic solvents selected from the group of aliphatic ketones, cyclic ketones, alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, alkyl esters of menthyl or aromatic solvents.

Provided is an optical film which has a maximum absorption at a wavelength in the range of 600 to 680 nm, has a high dichroic ratio, and is excellent in light resistance. The optical film includes: a polymer of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound; and a compound represented by the following general formula (1).

##STR00001##

A compound having a maximum absorption in a wavelength range of 350 nm to 550 nm that functions as a dichroic dye is provided. In particular, a compound represented by formula (1) is provided. In the compound represented by formula (1), R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; R.sup.2 represents an acyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or the like; R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; and Y represents a group of formula (Y1). In the group of formula (Y1), * represents a bonding site with N, or a group of formula (Y2); and in the group of formula (Y2), * represents a bonding site with N; P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent —S— or the like; and Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 each independently represent ═N— or the like.

##STR00001##

A compound having a maximum absorption in a wavelength range of 350 nm to 550 nm that functions as a dichroic dye is provided. In particular, a compound represented by formula (1) is provided. In the compound of formula (1), R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; Z represents —CO— or the like; and Y represents a group of formula (Y1). In the group of formula (Y1), * represents a bonding site with N, or a group of formula (Y2); and in the group of formula (Y2), * represents a bonding site with N; P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 each independently represent —S— or the like; and Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 each independently represent ═N— or the like.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a polymerizable compound with a structure of general formula I, which exhibits none or few of the problems existing in the prior art. A polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprising the polymerizable compound has good stability and higher reliability, and is embodied by having a smaller pretilt angle change and higher voltage holding ratio. Also, there is little or no image sticking effect in a liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. The present invention also provides a method of synthesizing a polymerizable compound with a structure of general formula I. The present invention further provides a polymerizable liquid crystal composition comprising the polymerizable compound and a liquid crystal display device comprising the polymerizable liquid crystal composition. ##STR00001##

A polymerizable composition provides a high brightness and suppressed decrease in brightness in an outer peripheral region when used in a wavelength conversion member, a wavelength conversion member, a backlight unit, and a liquid crystal display device. The polymerizable composition includes quantum dots having surfaces coordinated with a ligand, a polymerizable compound, and a dispersant, in which the ligand is a molecule that includes a saturated hydrocarbon chain having 6 or more carbon atoms and a coordinating group, a Log P value of the polymerizable compound is 3.0 or lower, the dispersant has a nonpolar and a polar portion in a molecule, and the nonpolar portion is at least one selected from the group consisting of a saturated hydrocarbon chain having 6 or more carbon atoms, an aromatic ring, and a saturated aliphatic ring. The wavelength conversion member, the backlight unit, and the liquid crystal display device include the polymerizable composition.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy, comprising a low-molecular-weight component and a polymerizable component. The polymerizable component comprises self-aligning, polymerizable mesogens (polymerizable self-alignment additives) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the LC medium without alignment layers. The invention discloses novel structures for self-alignment additives which have a certain position of the functional groups.

A system is provided. The system includes a light source configured to emit an infrared light to illuminate an eye of a user. The system includes a grating disposed facing the eye and including a birefringent material film configured with a uniform birefringence lower than or equal to 0.1. The grating is configured to diffract the infrared light reflected from the eye, and transmit a visible light from a real world environment toward the eye, with a diffraction efficiency less than a predetermined threshold. The system includes an optical sensor configured to receive the diffracted infrared light and generate an image of the eye based on the diffracted infrared light.