The invention relates to a light modulation element comprising a pair of substrates, one or more optical films located on the inner side of one of the substrates, an electrode structure capable of inducing an electric field substantially in parallel to the substrates main plane, and a homogenously aligned liquid crystalline medium which is obtainable from a photoalignment component A) and a liquid-crystalline component B). Furthermore, the invention relates process of production of the light modulation element, to the use of the light modulation element in an electro optical device and to an electro optical device comprising said light modulation element.

Self-aligned liquid crystal materials and structures are disclosed. The structures can exhibit piezoelectric and flexoelectric properties.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising polymerisable compounds, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, and to LC displays comprising it.

The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition and a liquid crystal display device thereof. The liquid crystal composition comprises at least one compound of general formula I and at least one compound of general formula II. The liquid crystal composition has a larger vertical dielectric constant (.sub.), a larger ratio of the vertical dielectric constant to the absolute value of dielectric anisotropy (.sub./||), a larger K.sub.ave value and a higher transmittance while maintaining an appropriate clearing point, an appropriate optical anisotropy, and an appropriate absolute value of the dielectric anisotropy, such that the liquid crystal display device comprising the same has a better contrast, a faster response speed and a better transmittance while maintaining an appropriate range of operating temperature and an appropriate threshold voltage.

##STR00001##

A composition for an optical film including a liquid crystal and a polysiloxane represented by Chemical Formula 1 ##STR00001##
wherein in Chemical Formula 1, R.sup.1 to R.sup.5, L.sup.1 to L.sup.3, X, Y, Z, T.sup.1, T.sup.2, a, b, c, and d are the same as described in the detailed description.

A liquid crystalline compound, a liquid crystal composition, and a liquid crystal display element are provided. The liquid crystalline compound satisfying at least one physical property among high stability against heat and light, high transparency, low minimum temperature of the liquid crystal phase, low viscosity, proper optical anisotropy, negatively large dielectric anisotropy, proper elastic constant, good compatibility with other liquid crystalline compounds at room temperature and low temperature. The liquid crystalline compound represented by formula (1).

##STR00001##

A LC lens and a liquid-crystal medium used in said LC lens, wherein the medium contains one or more compounds of each of formulae I and II

##STR00001##

A compound represented by Formula (1):

##STR00001## R.sup.1 is hydrogen or an alkyl group that may be substituted; rings A.sup.1 to A.sup.2 are cyclohexylene or phenylene that may be substituted; a is 0 to 4; Z.sup.1 is a single bond or an alkylene group that may be substituted; Sp.sup.1 to Sp.sup.3 are a single bond or an alkylene that may be substituted; M.sup.1 to M.sup.4 are H, F, Cl, or an alkyl group that may be substituted; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are hydrogen, a group represented by Formula (1-a), or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms that may be substituted; and at least one of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a group represented by Formula (1-a);

##STR00002## Sp.sup.4 is a single bond or an alkylene group that may be substituted; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are hydrogen or an alkyl group; and at least one of R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 is an alkyl group.

To provide a polar compound having high chemical stability, a high ability to align liquid crystal molecules, and high solubility in a liquid crystal composition, and a high voltage holding ratio of a liquid crystal display element.

A compound represented by Formula (1):

##STR00001## R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group that may be substituted; a is 2 to 12; and R.sup.2 is Formula (1-a), Formula (1-b), and Formula (1-c);

##STR00002## Sp.sup.1 to Sp.sup.3 are a single bond or an alkylene group that may be substituted; M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are H, F, Cl, or an alkyl group that may be substituted; and X.sup.1 is OH, NH.sub.2, OR.sup.3, N(R.sup.3).sub.2, COOH, SH or Si(R.sup.3).sub.3.

A liquid crystal composition without requiring an alignment film or alignment treatment on a substrate. The problem is solved by a low molecular weight polar compound capable of homogeneously aligning a liquid crystal medium relative to the substrate, for example, a low molecular weight polar compound represented by formula (1):

M-P(1)

In formula (1), M is a nonpolar group having 1 or more carbons, and P is a polar group.