The disclosed embodiments relate to lateral migration of particles in a totally internally reflective displays. In certain embodiments, the reflective image displays include partial and full walls to form partitions within the display. The walls mitigate diffusion and lateral migration or drift of electrophoretically mobile particles due to lateral electric fields at adjacent pixels. This improves image quality, bistability and long-term display performance.

A total internal reflection-based display may be driven by an apparatus and method to move electrophoretically mobile particles into and out of an evanescent wave region to create static and video images. The apparatus may comprise one or more of a host microprocessor/controller, display controller, TIR display panel, frame buffer memory 1, frame buffer memory 2, host interface, temperature/environmental sensor, timing controller, look up table, power management integrated circuit or display panel interface.

Optical states in TIR-based image displays may be modulated by movement of electrophoretically mobile particles into and out of the evanescent wave region at the interface of a high refractive index convex protrusions and a low refractive index medium. The movement of particles into the evanescent wave region may frustrate TIR and form dark states at pixels. Movement of particles out of the evanescent wave region may allow for TIR of incident light to form bright states at pixels. The movement of the particles may be controlled by employing the drive methods of pulse width modulation, voltage modulation or a combination thereof.

Application of an electric field to nanorods can control their alignment, thus providing techniques for ultra-fast switching and optical modulators, for example those that might serve as display indicators.

An optical communication switch, an optical controlling method, an array substrate and a display device are provided, the optical communication switch including: a first substrate and a second substrate opposite thereto; a first optical medium layer formed therebetween by a phase-change material, which has a first refractive index in a first state in which light rays implement one of an optical path state and an optical drop state, and a second refractive index in a second state in which light rays implement the other one of the optical path state and the optical drop state; a second optical medium layer also formed therebetween and in contact with the first optical medium layer by abutting against it closely, the second optical medium layer having a refractive index matching the first or second refractive index; and a heating device enabling the phase-change material to switch between the first and second states.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display device, including: a liquid crystal display panel, comprising a liquid crystal layer including a polymer network formed of a polymerizable monomer; a light guide component, wherein the light guide component is configured such that light from the light source is emitted out from the first surface of the light guide component into the liquid crystal display panel, and in a case that the liquid crystal layer is not applied with a voltage, light from the light source is totally reflected at the liquid crystal display panel without being emitted from a side of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate into the outside air.

A backlight assembly includes a light source, a light guide optically coupled to the light source that receives light from the light source, a substrate including an electrode layer and a hydrophobic surface located on the electrode layer, wherein the hydrophobic surface of the substrate is spaced apart from a surface of the light guide to define a cell gap, and a plurality of conductive liquid beads located within the cell gap. Liquid beads that are subject to an actuation voltage applied to the electrode layer are in an actuated state, and liquid beads that are not subject to an actuation voltage applied to the electrode layer are in a non-actuated state. When the liquid beads are in the non-actuated state, the liquid beads are in contact with the surface of the light guide for extracting light from the light guide, and when the liquid beads are in the actuated state, the liquid beads deform such that contact of the liquid beads with the surface of the light guide is reduced relative to the non-actuated state to reduce extraction of light from the lightguide, thereby dimming the backlight assembly.

A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device are provided. The display panel includes a plurality of display units. Each display unit includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to each other. The first substrate includes a first base substrate and a first electrode, an electrostriction layer and a reflective trough which are disposed thereon. The second substrate includes a second base substrate and a second electrode and a reflective cavity body which are disposed thereon. A support is disposed between the first base substrate and the second base substrate, such that a distance between the first base substrate and the second base substrate is kept constant.

A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels each having a plurality of sub-pixels; and a light path adjustment film on the display panel, wherein the light path adjustment film includes a first base film, and a pattern layer on a surface of the first base film, wherein the pattern layer includes a plurality of first patterns having a first refractive index, and a plurality of second patterns between the first patterns and having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, and wherein the first pattern includes a top surface spaced apart from the display panel and parallel with the display panel, a bottom surface between the top surface and the display panel, and a slanted surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface.

Semi-retro-reflective total internal reflection-based image displays may be equipped with at least one dielectric layer. The at least one dielectric layer may be deposited on one or more of a front electrode layer, rear electrode layer or pixel walls. This may lead to displays with enhanced brightness, improved electrophoretic particle responsiveness, improved grayscale and chemical stability in the presence of an electrophoretic medium, and improved resistance to high electric fields and high temperatures. In one embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises a dielectric layer formed by one or more of methods molecular layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhance chemical vapor deposition, spin coating or slot die coating. In another embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises at least one dielectric layer and at least one surface modification layer.