A system may have windows. The window may have first and second window layers and a layer of material such as guest-host liquid crystal material between the first and second window layers. Electrodes on the window layers may be used to apply electric fields to the guest-host liquid crystal material to adjust the light transmission properties of the window. To ensure that a desired gap between the first and second window layers is maintained, spacers may be formed between the first and second window layers. The spacers may include key-and-lock spacers that have interlocking portions located, respectively, on the first and second window layers. Spacers such as photoresist posts can be attached using adhesive. Hybrid arrangements may also be used in which key-and-lock spacer structures are attached using adhesive bonds.

Provided is an electronic device including a first liquid crystal layer having a first side and a second side opposite thereto; a second liquid crystal layer disposed on the first liquid crystal layer and having a third side and a fourth side opposite thereto; a first alignment layer disposed on the first side and having a first alignment direction; a second alignment layer disposed on the second side and having a second alignment direction opposite to the first alignment direction; a third alignment layer disposed on the third side and having a third alignment direction; and a fourth alignment layer disposed on the fourth side and having a fourth alignment direction opposite to the third alignment direction. The second alignment layer is between the first liquid crystal layer and the third alignment layer. The third alignment layer is between the second liquid crystal layer and the second alignment layer.

Described herein are liquid crystal (LC) assemblies that are dimmable and techniques for manufacturing LC assemblies. In one example, an LC assembly comprises: a first curved glass panel, a second curved glass panel, and a liquid crystal panel having a first outer surface and a second outer surface, a layer of a liquid adhesive attaching the first curved glass panel and the first outer surface of the liquid crystal panel, and a film adhesive attaching the second curved glass panel and the second outer surface of the liquid crystal panel.

A reflective display apparatus is provided. The reflective display apparatus includes a textured sub-micron metal film textured in a periodic manner, a phase change material (PCM) layer, and a phase change control layer that is configured to change reflection properties of the textured sub-micron metal film by causing the PCM to switch between at least two of a plurality of phases.

An electronic device includes: a first light modulation assembly, including: a first substrate; a second substrate opposite to the first substrate; a first conductive layer disposed on the first substrate; a second conductive layer disposed on the second substrate; a first insulating layer disposed on the first substrate; and a first light modulation layer disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

An optical device is provided. The optical device is capable of varying transmittance, and such optical device can be used for various applications such as eyewear, for example, sunglasses or AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality) eyewear, an outer wall of a building or a sunroof for a vehicle.

A light-adjusting structure, a method for manufacturing the light-adjusting structure, and a light-adjusting module are provided, which belong to the field of display technology, the light-adjusting structure includes: a first flexible substrate and a second flexible substrate oppositely arranged; a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode which are located between the first flexible substrate and the second flexible substrate; a first alignment layer located on a side of the first flexible substrate facing towards the second flexible substrate; a second alignment layer located on a side of the second flexible substrate facing towards the first flexible substrate; and a spacer and a dye liquid crystal layer which are located between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer. The solutions of the present disclosure can meet light-adjusting requirements of vehicle windows.

A transmittance-variable layer and a transmittance-variable device including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a transmittance-variable device includes a polarization layer and a transmittance-variable layer disposed on the polarization layer, wherein the transmittance-variable layer includes a first base layer disposed on the polarization layer and a spacer fixed on a surface of the first base layer opposite to the polarization layer, and a second base layer facing the first base layer and spaced apart from the first base layer by the first spacer, wherein the first spacer maintains a gap between the first and second base layers, and a first light modulating material disposed in the gap.

Apparatus are described herein related to augmenting human vision by means of adaptive polarization filter grids. A preferred embodiment is described as smart sunglasses, realized as see through head mountable device (HMD) configured to reduce glare originating from polarized light. Each eyeglass of the HMD is associated with a grid comprising a plurality of dynamically configurable polarization filters placed in the path of the light. A polarization analyzer module analyzes the polarization characteristics of a field of view and performs an optimization calculation. The polarization analyzer controls the said grid via a controller module in such a way that the filter state of each grid element can be addressed separately. The grid of polarization filters causes the polarization characteristics of the incident light to be adapted in such a way as to reduce glare and/or to provide a user of the said head mountable device with an enhanced visual perception of the field of view. The user of the described head mountable device has the option of selection between a plurality of polarization enhancement modes, such as horizontal or vertical polarization filtering only or a hybrid mode combining both horizontal and vertical polarization filtering on an individual basis for each grid element. Additionally smart window and smart mirror embodiments of the described adaptive polarization filter grids are introduced.

An optical element which can be utilized in various versions and implementations of switchable light filters having, in addition, polarization filters and/or other means for varying the polarization characteristics of light, for example, liquid crystal layers. A combination of switchable light filter and imaging display device makes possible a private viewing effect that can be switched on and off. The optical element comprises a first layer or a first layer and a plurality of further layers, each layer including a material with a plurality of light-absorbing transition dipole moments. At least in a first state, each transition dipole moment is oriented, with a tolerance of 10° at the maximum, parallel to a selectable preferential direction or fluctuates around it so that light which is incident in the optical element is transmitted or at least partially absorbed depending on its incident direction.