An intelligent window includes two substrates and a dimming layer. Each substrate is electrically connected to a voltage source. A switchable electric field is formed between the two substrates. The dimming layer is formed by filling a liquid crystal material between the two substrates. The liquid crystal material is formed by mixing a chiral molecule, a dichroic dye, and a salt ion in a nematic liquid crystal. A weight percentage concentration of the chiral molecule in the liquid crystal material is determined according to a limitation formula (I). C is the weight percentage concentration, n is a birefringence index of the liquid crystal material, p is a chiral force of the chiral molecule in micrometer.sup.?1, D is a thickness of the dimming layer in micrometer, m.sub.1 is a constant of multiaxial absorption condition in micrometer, and m.sub.2 is a constant of normally transparent condition.

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{n}{4{\mathrm{pm}}_1}?C?\frac{m_2}{\mathrm{Dp}}& \left(I\right)\end{array}$

Provided are an optical element that has a high diffraction efficiency and can be produced through a simple procedure, a method of producing the optical element, and a mask set for use in production of the optical element. The optical element of the present invention includes an optically anisotropic layer containing anisotropic molecules. The optically anisotropic layer includes a first region that is a region where the anisotropic molecules are not twist-aligned in a film thickness direction of the optically anisotropic layer, and a second region that is a region where the anisotropic molecules are twist-aligned in the film thickness direction of the optically anisotropic layer.

A switchable waveplate includes a substrate, a first electrode layer on the substrate, an alignment layer on the first electrode layer and including alignment patterns formed thereon, a liquid crystal layer on the alignment layer, and a second electrode layer on the liquid crystal layer. The alignment patterns are determined based on angles of interest at a plurality of regions of the switchable waveplate. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules that are arranged according to the alignment patterns and are pre-tilted when no electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer. The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are configured to apply electric fields of different magnitudes to a plurality of zones of the switchable waveplate.

A phase difference film includes a small change in tint when the film is applied to a display device as a circularly polarizing plate in combination with a polarizer display device being observed from an oblique direction at all azimuthal angles. The film includes optically anisotropic layers X, Y, and Z in this order, in which layer X is an A-plate, and layers Y and Z are formed by fixing a first and second liquid crystal compound, respectively, twist-aligned along a helical axis extending in a thickness direction, one of the first and second liquid crystal compounds are rod-like liquid crystal compounds, the other first and the second liquid crystal compounds are disk-like liquid crystal compounds, and an in-plane slow axis of layer X is parallel to an in-plane slow axis on a surface of layer Y on layer X side.

A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate capable having excellent appearance properties and including a polarizer, an optical rotatory layer, and a brightness enhancement film, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device including the polarizing plate, are described. The method includes forming an optical rotatory layer, which has a film thickness of 10 m or less and rotates a polarization axis of linearly polarized light, on a temporary support to manufacture a temporary support with an optical rotatory layer; bonding the optical rotatory layer of the temporary support with an optical rotatory layer and polarizer through a curable adhesive layer, and curing the curable adhesive layer to form a first bonding layer having a storage elastic modulus of 2 to 1500 MPa; peeling off the temporary support from the laminate; and bonding the optical rotatory layer of the laminate and a brightness enhancement film through a second bonding layer.

A display device comprising a spatial light modulator having a display polariser arranged on one side is provided with an additional polariser arranged on the same side as the display polariser and a polar control retarder between the additional polariser and the display polariser. The polar control retarder includes a liquid crystal retarder having two surface alignment layers disposed adjacent to a layer of liquid crystal material on opposite sides. The surface alignment layers provide alignment in the adjacent liquid crystal material with a twist. The out-of-plane orientation of the twisted layer of liquid crystal material is modified across at least one region of the display device to provide a transmission function in response to the measured location of an off-axis snooper, achieving increased size of polar region for which desired uniformity of security factor, or reduced distraction across the display to the driver in an automotive application is achieved.

A device is provided. The device includes an optical film including optically anisotropic molecules configured to form a plurality of helical structures with a plurality of helical axes and a helical pitch. The helical pitch is a distance along a helical axis over which an azimuthal angle of an optically anisotropic molecule vary by a predetermined value. Over the helical pitch of a helical structure, the azimuthal angle of the optically anisotropic molecule is configured to vary nonlinearly with respect to a distance from a starting point of the helical pitch to a local point at which the optically anisotropic molecule is located along the helical axis.

Provided is a display device containing a crystalline piezoelectric polymer layer having a helical chiral polymer (A) that has a weight average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 1,000,000 and has optical activity, an optical compensation layer satisfying the following expression (1), and a linear polarizer. In expression (1), Xc represents a degree of crystallinity (%) of the crystalline piezoelectric polymer layer obtained by a DSC method; MORc represents a standardized molecular orientation of the crystalline piezoelectric polymer layer measured by a microwave transmission molecular orientation meter when a reference thickness is 50 ?m; d represents a thickness (?m) of the crystalline piezoelectric polymer layer; and Rth represents a phase difference (nm) in a thickness direction of the optical compensation layer at a wavelength of 550 nm.
|0.06?Xc?MORc?d+Rth|?500Expression (1):

A reflective display apparatus is provided, which includes a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) display module and a compensation layer. The LCOS display module has a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal cells, each having a beta angle ranging from about 9 degrees to about 11 degrees and a twist angle ranging from about 84 degrees to about 88 degrees relative to the beta angle. The compensation layer is disposed on the LCOS display module for compensating retardation of the liquid crystal layer.

Simple and cost-effective measurement of polarization components or the complete PSoL (the so-called Stokes parameters) is achieved without any mechanical movements or deformation by using liquid crystal elements. A transmission of a first polarization of light is greater than a transmission of a second orthogonal polarization of light and transmission of the second polarization is greater than 5%. In another of the different states, the device has different levels of transmission of the first and second polarizations of light. At least two orthogonal polarization component values characterizing the light can be resolved by comparing an intensity of light captured in a plurality of the different states.