Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal mixture applied in light compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (I), component B comprised of one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formula (II), and component C comprised of one or more the liquid crystal mixture, wherein the liquid crystal mixture has higher stability of electrical performance and the light modulating device has improved optical performance.

##STR00001##

The invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which comprises one or more compounds of formula YX

##STR00001## in which
the parameters have the meanings given in the text,
to the use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type, and to the use of the compounds of formula YX for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

A method for preparing a switching element which is operable in and electrically switchable between an optically clear state and a scattering state, wherein one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds provided in a layer containing a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds and the one or more polymerisable mesogenic compounds are subjected to polymerisation in the presence of a direct current (DC) electric field in the layer. Also, a switching element obtained or respectively obtainable by carrying out the method and to the use of the switching element in a window.

A liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising a polymerizable compound, a process for its preparation, its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, such as LC displays, including LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and LC displays, including PSA displays, comprising the LC medium.

A liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising a polymerizable compound, a process for its preparation, its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, such as LC displays, including LC displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and LC displays, including PSA displays, comprising the LC medium.

A method and apparatus for improved switching speed and/or tunability for radio-frequency (RF) devices are described. In one embodiment, a liquid crystal (LC) component comprises an LC structure in a mixture with right-handed (R) and left-handed (S) chiral dopants.

A first objective of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition for forming a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having excellent characteristics capable of reflecting light incident on a layer surface from a normal direction in a direction other than the normal direction. In addition, a second object of the present invention is to provide a cholesteric liquid crystal layer formed of the liquid crystal composition. In addition, a third object of the present invention is to provide a cured substance obtained by curing the liquid crystal composition. In addition, a fourth object of the present invention is to provide an optically anisotropic body formed of the liquid crystal composition, and an optically anisotropic body consisting of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer. In addition, a fifth object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a cholesteric liquid crystal layer using the liquid crystal composition.

The liquid crystal composition of the present invention contains a liquid crystal compound, a chiral agent A, and a chiral agent B whose helical twisting power increases upon irradiation with light, in which the chiral agent A is a chiral agent that induces a helix in a direction opposite to that of a helix induced by the chiral agent B.

One embodiment of the invention is to provide a decorative film for molding including a reflective layer which is provided on a plastic base material and has a center wavelength of a selective reflection wavelength in a range of from 380 nm to 780 nm, in which an elastic modulus of the reflective layer at a temperature of a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the plastic base material +10° C. is from 0.00001 GPa to 0.5 GPa; a molded product of the decorative film for molding; and a display to which the molded product is applied.

Provided is a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer, and method thereof, in which a variation in a twisted angle of liquid crystal compound in an in-plane direction is suppressed an optical film, and a circularly polarizing plate for an organic EL display. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal, optically active compound A which is a photosensitive optically active compound whose helical twisting power changes upon irradiation with light and has a molar absorption coefficient of 5,000 M.sup.−1.Math.cm.sup.−1 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm, and an optically active compound B having a molar absorption coefficient with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm smaller than the molar absorption coefficient of the optically active compound A, in which a mass content ratio of the optically active compound A to the liquid crystal compound is less than 0.01.

Provided is a method for producing a reflective layer having excellent diffuse reflectivity. The method for producing a reflective layer of the present invention includes Step 1 of applying a composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a chiral agent onto a substrate and heating the applied composition to align the liquid crystal compound into a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state, and Step 2 of forming a reflective layer by cooling or heating the composition so that the helical twisting power of the chiral agent contained in the composition in the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase state increases by 5% or more.