A semi-finished product method with a liquid crystal security feature includes unrolling and transporting a continuous film in a transporting direction and providing on the film a liquid crystal layer containing a substance whose absorption of polarized light depends on its orientation. The method includes at least one of (A) arranging a lacquer layer on the film and embossing it for a first alignment structure, and at least partly covering it with the liquid crystal layer, the first alignment structure able to cause liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer to align only in a first direction in first regions and only in a second direction, in second regions, and (B) embossing the liquid crystal layer while the liquid crystal layer is uncured providing a second alignment structure to cause liquid crystal molecules to align only in a third direction in third regions and only in a fourth direction, in fourth regions.

An optical assembly including an optical element insert molded directly onto an optical stack is provided. The optical stack includes an optical film and may include a liner with the optical film being disposed between the optical element and the liner. The liner, if included, is removable from the optical film without substantial damage to the optical film. An outermost layer of the optical film may be diffusion bonded to a major surface of the optical element. The optical film includes a protective coating having an average thickness of no more than 30 micrometers. The protective coating includes an at least partially cured composition. The composition includes 70 to 96 weight percent of urethane (meth)acrylate compound having an average (meth)acrylate functionality of 2 to 9.5, and 2 to 20 weight percent of (meth)acrylate monomer having a (meth)acrylate functionality of 1 to 2.

A hybrid optical filter includes a plurality of film layers laminated to one another. This renders the filter flexible enough to be bendable and to implement a combination of at least two different wavelength-dependent optical filtering properties in a single hybrid optical filter. Two or more of the optical filtering properties may be caused by interference-based blocking of different ranges of wavelengths of light. Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the optical filtering properties may be an absorptive blocking of a first range of wavelengths of light and at least another one of the optical filtering properties is an interference-based blocking of a second range of wavelengths of light. The first range of wavelengths and the second range of wavelengths may overlap to provide for customized ranges of blocked wavelengths.

A method of aligning a chiral nematic liquid crystal (103), the method comprising depositing a first chiral nematic liquid crystal (103) onto a first substrate (102), positioning a second substrate (104) on top of the liquid crystal (103) to form an initial layer structure and then applying rolling pressure to at least one of the substrates (102, 104) of the initial layer structure to create a final layer structure in which the first chiral nematic liquid crystal (103) is aligned with a helical axis substantially perpendicular to a local plane of the first substrate (102). Aspects of the invention provide optical filter materials for laser protection applications, LED emission filtering and lighting, augmented reality display coatings.

Multilayer optical films including a substrate and at least a first layer overlaying a surface of the substrate, in which the at least first layer includes a (co)polymer obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable composition including a fluorinated coupling agent and at least one free-radically polymerizable monomer, oligomer, or mixture thereof. Processes for making multilayer optical films using the polymerizable compositions also are taught. Articles including the multilayer optical film also are disclosed, in which the article preferably is selected from a photovoltaic device, a display device, a solid-state lighting device, a sensor, a medical or biological diagnostic device, an electrochromic device, light control device, or a combination thereof.

An interference filter includes a transmissive first substrate including a first inner surface and a first outer surface facing each other, in which the first inner surface is provided with a first reflection film, a transmissive second substrate including a second inner surface and a second outer surface facing each other, in which the second inner surface is provided with a second reflection film, a first bonding portion configured to bond the first inner surface and the second inner surface to each other, and seal a first inner space between the first substrate and the second substrate, a transmissive third substrate facing the first outer surface, a second bonding portion configured to bond the first outer surface and the third substrate to each other, and seal a second inner space between the first substrate and the third substrate, a transmissive fourth substrate facing the second outer surface, and a third bonding portion configured to bond the second outer surface and the fourth substrate to each other, and seal a third inner space between the second substrate and the fourth substrate, wherein the first inner space, the second inner space, and the third inner space are lower in pressure than atmospheric pressure.

An optical combiner includes a first layer with a periodic arrangement of structures of a material with a first refractive index. A second layer overlies the structures on the first layer, and the second layer includes a material with a second refractive index. A difference between the first refractive index and the second refractive index, measured at 587.5 nm, is less than 1.5. The periodic arrangement of structures is configured such that the optical combiner produces, for an input signal incident on the first layer from air at an oblique elevation angle of greater than 20°, an output signal with three reflection peaks, each reflection peak having an average reflection of greater than 50% within a ±3° range of the elevation angle.

An optical assembly (200) including an encapsulated multilayer optical film (250). Methods of making and using such optical assemblies also are disclosed.

An optical filter has an average optical transmission of greater than about 50% in a visible wavelength range (e.g., wavelengths from about 420 nm to about 550 nm) and an optical density greater than about 1.5 in an infrared wavelength range (e.g., wavelengths from about 650 nm to about 800 nm). The optical filter can have a sharp band edge between the visible and infrared ranges. For example, a change in percent transmission of at least about 30% can occur over a wavelength range not greater than about 10 nm wide and/or the slope of the band edge can be greater than about 5%/nm. An optical system includes the optical filter disposed between an emissive display and an optical sensor.

Polyester copolymeric materials include 40 to 51 mol % substituted naphthalate units, such as dimethyl-2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate units, 10 to 40 mol % ethylene units, and 10 to 40 mol % hexane units. The polyester copolymers can be used to prepare multi-layer optical films by coextrusion and/or co-stretching. The copolyester polymeric materials have desirable optical properties and permit thermal processing at lower temperatures.