Provided are methods of switching guest-host dual frequency liquid crystals by using a back flow. In the case of a shutter having a dual frequency liquid crystal layer between two transparent substrates, such a method includes: applying a first voltage having a first frequency to the dual frequency liquid crystal layer; and applying a second voltage having a second frequency to the dual frequency liquid crystal, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency, wherein the second voltage is higher than a threshold voltage that generates a back flow around liquid crystals of the dual frequency liquid crystal layer, and the first voltage is lower than the threshold voltage.

A liquid crystal composition, which is a material used for an element for electromagnetic wave signal control in a frequency range of 1 GHz to 10 THz, satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a wide temperature range of a nematic phase and a large refractive index anisotropy and a small dielectric loss tangent (tan ) in the frequency region used for control, and has an excellent balance of characteristics, and an element containing the composition. A liquid crystal composition including: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Formula (1). For example, R.sup.1 is C1-12 alkyl; Z.sup.11 is a single bond; L.sup.11, L.sup.12, L.sup.13 and L.sup.18 are hydrogen; L.sup.17 is methyl; Y.sup.11 and Y.sup.22 are hydrogen; and a and c are respectively 0 or 1, b is 1, and a sum of a, b, and c is 2. ##STR00001##

An example system includes a bulk steering crystal apparatus having a first lens face and a second concave face. The example bulk steering crystal apparatus further includes a number of steering portions interposed between the first lens face and the second concave face, where each of the steering portions includes a bulk substrate portion including an electro-optical material and a corresponding high-side electrode electrically coupled to the corresponding one of the number of steering portions.

Systems and methods of optical transverse patterning of image-forming light rays include a programming element to generate a pattern that a modulating element imprints onto the image-forming light rays. In some embodiments, the programming element and the modulating element are the same component within the system. In some embodiments, the pattern is free of farfield diffractive artifacts.