An optical device, comprising: —a first electrode layer; —a second electrode layer provided at a distance from the first electrode layer; —the first and second electrode layer being light transmitting; wherein the optical device further comprises, in between the first and the second electrode layers: o a diffractive optical element adjacent to the first electrode layer and comprising at least one sloped surface; and o a liquid crystalline material filling a space between the sloped surface and the second electrode layer; the liquid crystalline material having a pretilt that compensates for a slope angle of the at least one sloped surface.

According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a first area including a display portion, a second area adjacent to the first area, and an organic film. The second substrate has a substrate end along a boundary between the first area and the second area, and overlaps the first area. The first substrate includes an alignment film located in the display portion, terminals located in the second area and connected to a signal source, and a first groove formed in the organic film and located between the substrate end of the second substrate and the terminals in the second area. The terminals are arranged in a first direction. The first groove extends in the first direction along the terminals.

A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a second substrate overlapping the first substrate and spaced apart therefrom; a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate and including liquid crystal molecules; a first alignment layer between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer; and a plurality of protrusions between the first alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer, wherein the first alignment layer includes a photoinitiator, wherein the plurality of protrusions include a polymerization product of the photoinitiator, a reactive mesogen, and a vertical alignment additive, and the vertical alignment additive may be less reactive than the photoinitiator.

An optical element includes: a support; an alignment layer that is provided on one surface of the support and has an uneven structure in which a recess portion and a protrusion portion are alternately provided, the recess portion extending in a line shape including a curve having a curvature of 3.0 mm.sup.−1 or higher, and the protrusion portion extending in a line shape including a curve having a curvature of 3.0 mm.sup.−1 or higher; and a liquid crystal layer having an alignment pattern in which an optical axis of a liquid crystal molecule is parallel to the surface of the support and is aligned along the recess portion and the protrusion portion in the alignment layer.

The present disclosure provides a curved panel and a display device that include a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of first liquid crystal molecules near the first substrate, and a plurality of second liquid crystal molecules near the second substrate. The curved panel includes a central region, a first region and a second region located at both sides of the central region. The second substrate is disposed near a light-emitting side of the curved panel. A pretilt angle of the first liquid crystal molecules is greater than a pretilt angle of the second liquid crystal molecules.

A device is provided. The device may be an optical device, a light coupling device, or a tunable light coupling device. The device includes a first portion, a lens, a light emitting element, and a waveguide. The first portion is disposed adjacent to a surface of a substrate and has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The light emitting element is disposed adjacent to the second side of the first portion. The lens is disposed adjacent to the first side of the first portion and between the light emitting element and the waveguide.

A display panel and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The display panel includes a first substrate, a first protrusion, a first liquid crystal layer, a third liquid crystal layer, a second liquid crystal layer, a second protrusion, and a second substrate in order from top to bottom. The first liquid crystal layer, the second liquid crystal layer, and the third liquid crystal layer include negative type liquid crystal molecules. An absolute value of a dielectric anisotropy parameter of the liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal layer and an absolute value of a dielectric anisotropy parameter of the liquid crystal molecules in the second liquid crystal layer are both greater than an absolute value of a dielectric anisotropy parameter of the liquid crystal molecules in the third liquid crystal layer.

The present disclosure relates to a multifocal lens. The multifocal lens may include N liquid crystal panels in a stacked manner. The N liquid crystal panels may include an n-th liquid crystal panel, and the n-th liquid crystal panel may include an n-th converging element having an n-th focal length. N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, n is a positive integer, and 1≤n≤N. The n-th liquid crystal panel may be configured to be switchable between a converging state and a non-converging state. The N liquid crystal panels may be configured to make the multifocal lens to have switchable C.sub.N.sup.1+C.sub.N.sup.2+C.sub.N.sup.3+ . . . +C.sub.N.sup.N focal lengths, and the C.sub.N.sup.1+C.sub.N.sup.2+C.sub.N.sup.3+ . . . +C.sub.N.sup.N focal lengths are all different from one another.

A switchable optical assembly comprises a switchable waveplate configured to be electrically activated and deactivated to selectively alter the polarization state of light incident thereon. The switchable waveplate comprises first and second surfaces and a first liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second surfaces. The first liquid crystal layer comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules that are rotated about respective axes parallel to a central axis, where the rotation varies with an azimuthal angle about the central axis. The switchable waveplate additionally comprises a plurality of electrodes to apply an electrical signal across said first liquid crystal layer.

A display substrate and a preparation method therefor, a display panel and a display device. The display substrate includes a plurality of pixel regions arranged in an array. The display substrate includes: a base; pixel electrodes provided on the base and located in the pixel regions; separation columns provided on the base and located between two adjacent pixel regions in the row direction, side surfaces of the separation columns having hydrophobic characteristics; and an alignment film provided on the pixel electrodes and located in the pixel regions, where edges of two opposite sides of the alignment film in the row direction are in contact with a side surface of the separation columns, and a surface of the alignment film on a side facing away from the base has a shape of gradually protruding from both sides toward the middle in the row direction.