Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal mixture applied in light modulating devices, comprising: component A comprised of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (I), component B comprised of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (II), and component C comprised of one or more chiral compounds. Also disclosed is a light modulating device containing the liquid crystal mixture, wherein the liquid crystal mixture has higher stability of electrical performance and the light modulating device has improved optical performance. ##STR00001##

The new media exhibit a ferroelectric nematic phase preferably at ambient temperature. They preferably comprise one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formulae IA, IB and IC,

##STR00001##

in which the variable groups have the meanings indicated in the text and in the claims. Use of the media for providing ferroelectric nematic materials and a method of operation of an electro-optical device are presented. The media may be useful for energy-saving displays and electrical appliances.

To prevent arcing discharge of a liquid crystal device. Provided is a liquid crystal device including a liquid crystal layer, a first substrate, a second substrate and an insulating film, wherein the liquid crystal layer is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate includes electrode 1, the second substrate includes electrode 2, the insulating film is arranged between electrode 1 and electrode 2, and the insulating film is a cured product of a thermosetting polymer composition.

The present application relates to a liquid crystal composition, a polarizing element and a use of the polarizing element. Since the polarizing element may be prepared by a simple coating process, the guest host type liquid crystal composition of the present application allows not only for reducing the manufacturing cost and lightweight thinning of the polarizing element, but also for manufacturing the polarizing element showing an excellent heat resistant stability without changes of absorption spectrum to transmission spectrum even in a severe condition such as high temperature environment. Such a polarizing element can be applied to various display devices such as liquid crystal display devices, EL display devices, field emission display devices, display devices using electronic papers, projection display devices or piezoelectric ceramic display devices.

Disclosed is a composition including a compound of formula (1), a compound of formula (2) having a maximum absorption wavelength of 550 nm or more and 650 nm or less, and a liquid crystalline compound. n and m are 1 or 2. R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 represent a substituent. R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 represent an alkylamino group, an alkoxy group, or an alkylthio group. P represents a single bond, OC(?O), C(?O)O, NHC(?O), C(?O)NH, C?C, CH?CH, CH?N, N?N, and N?CH. Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2, and Ar.sup.3 represent a 1,4-phenylene group or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group, and at least one of Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 is substituted with fluorine. Ar.sup.4, Ar.sup.5, and Ar.sup.6 represent a 1,4-phenylene group, a naphthalenediyl group, or a divalent sulfur-containing aromatic heterocyclic group.

##STR00001##

A liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal compound; a photo-alignment compound; and a polymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer having two or more radically polymerizable double bonds and one or more hydroxyl groups.

The present invention provides an optical laminate in which cissing occurring when an optically anisotropic layer is formed and film thickness unevenness are suppressed, and a polarizing plate and an organic EL display device using the same. The optical laminate includes an optically anisotropic layer A, and an optically anisotropic layer B, where layer A and layer B come into direct contact, either or both of layer A and layer B are formed of a composition containing a liquid crystal compound, surface energy A of a surface of layer A on a side in contact with layer B is 30 to 40 mN/m, surface energy B1 of a surface of layer B on a side in contact with layer A is 35 mN/m or more, and surface energy B2 of a surface of layer B opposite to the side in contact with layer A is 25 mN/m or less.

Shown is a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule having a particle diameter of 30 to 150 nanometers, and a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule without using a homogenizer. The disclosure concerns a method for producing a liquid crystal capsule, including a step of preparing an emulsion by performing phase inversion emulsification of a mixed material obtained by mixing a liquid crystal composition, a monomer, a surfactant, and a polymerization initiator; and a step of producing a liquid crystal capsule by applying a coacervation method to the emulsion. The disclosure also concerns a liquid crystal capsule having a liquid crystal composition, a surfactant and a capsule wall, wherein the capsule wall has a closed curved shape, the liquid crystal composition and a hydrophobic moiety of the surfactant are arranged inside the capsule wall, and a hydrophilic moiety of the surfactant is arranged outside the capsule wall.

A method of producing the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is a method of producing a liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates, the method including: forming the liquid crystal layer by sealing a liquid crystal material containing liquid crystal molecules including an alkenyl group between the substrates facing each other with a sealant in between; and performing an alignment treatment on an alignment film containing a polymer including a polymerizable group in a side chain and being disposed on a liquid crystal layer side surface of at least one of the substrates by irradiating the alignment film with ultraviolet rays and thereby polymerizing the polymerizable group.

The present invention aims to provide a liquid crystal display device in which image sticking and stains are sufficiently reduced. The present invention relates to an alignment film including: a polymer, wherein the polymer is a polysiloxane or a polyvinyl and contains a silsesquioxane group. The present invention also relates to a polymer for use in the alignment film, the polymer containing a silsesquioxane group. The present invention also relates to a liquid crystal display device including: the alignment film; a pair of substrates; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates, wherein the alignment film is disposed between at least one of the substrates and the liquid crystal layer.