A viewing angle of emission light is widened. A width of the viewing angle is adjusted. A liquid crystal diffraction grating includes at least a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a lower electrode and an upper electrode opposite to the lower electrode, and the upper electrode includes a plurality of branch electrodes that extend in a Y direction and are arranged in an X direction in a plan view. When no voltage is applied to the plurality of branch electrodes, an alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is a direction along the X or Y direction. When polarizers are arranged on upper and lower sides of the liquid crystal diffraction grating, transmission axes of these polarizers are parallel to each other and parallel to the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising a polymerisable compound, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in an LC display of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and to an LC display, especially a PSA display, comprising it.

According to one embodiment, a display device comprises first and second substrates. The first substrate comprise first and second common electrodes, and a first pixel electrode including a pair of first sides arranged in a first direction. The second common electrode includes first and second trunk portions, and a first branch portion extending from the second trunk portion toward the first trunk portion. The first pixel electrode is located between the trunk portions. The first branch portion overlaps with the first pixel electrode between the first sides. A width of the first pixel electrode between the first sides becomes smaller toward the second trunk portion.

According to one embodiment, a light control device comprises a first liquid crystal cell includes a first liquid crystal layer, a second liquid crystal cell includes a second liquid crystal layer, and a third liquid crystal cell includes a third liquid crystal layer. The first liquid crystal layer and the third liquid crystal layer each have a first region that scatters a first polarization component and that transmits a second polarization component. The second liquid crystal layer has a third region that overlaps the first region and converts the second polarization component into the first polarization component.

In a liquid crystal apparatus, a liquid crystal is provided in a cavity surrounded by a seal material between a first substrate and a second substrate, and the liquid crystal is aligned in a diagonal direction formed by corners 10a1, 10a3. Between a pixel area and the seal material, a first groove is formed along a side 20a6 from the corner 10a1 toward a corner 10a2. When a first pump is driven, the liquid crystal of the pixel area is drawn from a first end of the first groove on the corner 10a1 side, and the liquid crystal is ejected from a second end into the pixel area. As a result, a liquid crystal flow from the side of a side 20a7 toward the side of a side 20a9 occurs in the pixel area, and thus the liquid crystal can be smoothly circulated.

A display comprises a polarised output spatial light modulator, switchable liquid crystal retarder, absorbing polarizer and touch panel electrodes. The switchable liquid crystal layer is stabilised by a cured reactive mesogen material during application of an applied voltage. Light scatter in privacy mode is reduced and visual security level enhanced. Visibility of disclinations during application of applied pressure, for example from a finger on a touch screen is minimised.

A privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator and a compensated switchable liquid crystal retarder arranged between first and second polarisers arranged in series with the spatial light modulator. In a privacy mode of operation, on-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss, whereas off-axis light has reduced luminance. The visibility of the display to off-axis snoopers is reduced by means of luminance reduction over a wide polar field. In a wide angle mode of operation, the switchable liquid crystal retardance is adjusted so that off-axis luminance is substantially unmodified.

A projection type transparent display includes a polarization modulator and a reflective layer. The polarization modulator is stacked in sequence by a linear polarizer, a liquid crystal layer and a phase retarder. The reflective layer is stacked on the phase retarder. A projection light is incident on the linear polarizer to form a linearly polarized light. The liquid crystal layer changes a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light. Two kinds of linearly polarized projection lights with polarization directions orthogonal to each other are respectively formed and pass through the phase retarder to respectively form two kinds of circularly polarized projection lights with opposite rotation directions. A background light is incident on the reflective layer. A circularly polarized background light with the same spiral direction is reflected, and the circularly polarized background light opposite to the spiral direction passes through the reflective layer and is incident on the polarization modulator.

To provide a vertical alignment liquid crystal display device capable of achieving a high-definition image display. Tilt directions of liquid crystal molecules when a voltage is applied are within a plane that is in parallel to a border between a first pixel and a second pixel, and are different by 180 degrees between the first and second pixels. The first pixel is constituted with three sub-pixels for R, G, and B arranged in a direction in parallel to the border. Similarly, the second pixel is constituted with three sub-pixels for R, G, and B. The tilt directions of the liquid crystal molecules when a voltage is applied are different by 180 degrees from each other between the sub-pixels for R of the first and second pixels, between the sub-pixels for G of the first and second pixels, and between the sub-pixels for B of the first and second pixels.

A liquid crystal display device includes: a first liquid crystal cell; a second liquid crystal cell disposed in a backlight side; and a first optical sheet and a second optical sheet both having an identical layer structure. The first optical sheet is disposed on a front surface side of the first liquid crystal cell and the second optical sheet is disposed on a back surface side of the second liquid crystal cell, or vice versa.