Provided is a liquid crystal element. The liquid crystal element includes a first substrate, a first electrode provided on the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer provided on the first electrode and including a liquid crystal portion and a hydrophobic portion, and a second electrode on the liquid crystal layer, wherein the hydrophobic portion is phase-separated from the liquid crystal portion, wherein the liquid crystal portion includes polymer materials, a first dye, and liquid crystal molecules dispersed in the polymer materials, wherein the hydrophobic portion is spaced apart from the first electrode, wherein the hydrophobic portion includes hydrophobic materials and a second dye, wherein the first dye is dissolved in the polymer materials, wherein the second dye is dissolved in the hydrophobic portion, wherein the polymer materials include photo-curable polymer materials.

A liquid crystal based switchable light modulating device comprising polymer wall structure with improved transparency is disclosed.

The invention relates to a glazing used as projection screen operating in reflection, comprising a front face, onto which the image is projected, and a rear face. The glazing comprises a variable light scattering system comprising a functional film capable of switching between a transparent state and a scattering state and a coating comprising at least one mirror layer, said coating being separated from the front face at least by the functional film. The invention also relates to the use of a glazing as projection screen, to a projection system and to a projection method using said glazing.

A liquid crystal composite material is disclosed, including a polymer matrix, and a light-blocking body dispersed in the polymer matrix, wherein when no voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is randomly oriented so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a black state, and wherein when a voltage is applied, the light-blocking body is orderly oriented and the polymer matrix scatters incident light, so that the liquid crystal composite material is in a scattering state. A light switching device, a display device and methods for manufacturing the liquid crystal composite material, the light switching device, and the display device are further disclosed.

A liquid crystal (LC) device includes an optical stack arrangement including from the viewing side: a first electrode component; a first LC alignment layer; an LC layer; a second LC alignment layer; and a second electrode component. A voltage is applied to the LC device to create a potential difference between the first and second electrode components to switch an alignment of liquid crystals of selected portions of the LC layer from a first state when no voltage is applied to a second state when the voltage is applied. The first and second LC alignment layers are vertical alignment layers that induce a vertical alignment of the liquid crystals such that the first state when no voltage is applied is a vertical alignment state, and the liquid LC crystals switch to a planar alignment state as the second state when the voltage is applied. The first and/or second electrode components is a dual layer segmented electrode component comprising a first layer of electrode elements separated by inter-electrode gaps and a second layer of electrode elements separated by inter-electrode gaps, the first layer of electrode elements and the second layer of electrode elements being spaced apart in a viewing direction by an insulator layer.

A lighting fixture includes a lighting body and an illumination adjusting element which is arranged on the lighting body and is capable of being switched between an opaque mode and a transparent mode by means of electrical control, so that the lighting fixture is able to provide different illumination patterns.

According to an aspect, a liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate provided with a first electrode portion that includes a plurality of strip electrodes arranged in a first direction and that is configured to generate a transverse electric field in the first direction; a liquid crystal layer in which liquid crystal molecules are oriented in the first direction when the transverse electric field is not generated; a second substrate facing the first substrate across the liquid crystal layer; and an electrode provided at the second substrate.

Disclosed herein is a light emitting device and method of manufacturing such a device comprised of a series of photopolymerizable, chiral liquid crystalline layers that can be solvent cast on a substrate. The mixture of chiral materials in each successive layer may be blended in such a way that each layer has the same chiral pitch. Further the chiral materials in each layer may also be blended so that the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices in each layer match the other layers such that the complete assembly of layers will optically function as a single relatively thick layer of chiral liquid crystal. The chiral nematic material in each layer can spontaneously adopt a helical structure with a helical pitch. The light emitting layers of the light emitting device can further comprise electroluminescent material that emits light into the band edge light propagation modes of the photonic crystal.

According to an aspect, a display apparatus includes: a first light-transmissive substrate; a second light-transmissive substrate arranged to face the first light-transmissive substrate; a liquid crystal layer including polymer dispersed liquid crystals sealed between the first light-transmissive substrate and the second light-transmissive substrate; at least one light-emitting device arranged to face at least one of a side surface of the first light-transmissive substrate or a side surface of the second light-transmissive substrate; and at least one reflector arranged on at least one of a side surface of the first light-transmissive substrate or a side surface of the second light-transmissive substrate, the side surface of the first or second light-transmissive substrate being on an opposite side of the side surface of the first or second light-transmissive substrate to which the at least one light-emitting device faces, and configured to reflect light at the side surface on the opposite side.

A light control device includes: a light control element including first and second base members, first and second electrodes, a liquid crystal layer, and first and second terminals electrically connected to the first and second electrodes; and a drive circuit that applies a first drive voltage to the first terminal and applies a second drive voltage having a polarity different from that of the first drive voltage to the second terminal. The first drive voltage is set to a first voltage in a first period, is set to a second voltage lower than the first voltage in a second period, is set to a third voltage lower than the second voltage in a third period, and is set to a fourth voltage lower than the second voltage and higher than the third voltage in a fourth period.