A beam shaping system including an all-optical liquid crystal beam shaper, the beam shaper including a photoswitchable alignment material including at least one of a PESI-F, SPMA:MMA 1:5, SPMA:MMA 1:9, ora SOMA:SOMA-p:MMA 1:1:6 material, at least some of the liquid crystals of the beam shaper including at least one of a phenylcyclohexane, cyclo-cyclohexane, or a perfluorinated material.

The invention relates to a light modulation element comprising a cholesteric liquid crystalline medium sandwiched between two substrates (1), provided with a common electrode structure (2) and a driving electrode structure (3) individually, wherein the substrate with driving and/or common electrode structure is additionally provided with an alignment electrode structure (4) which is separated from the driving and or common electrode structure on the same substrate by a dielectric layer (5), characterized in that it comprises at least one alignment layer (6) directly adjacent to the liquid crystalline medium. The invention is further related to a method of production of said light modulation element and to the use of said light modulation element in various types of optical and electro-optical devices, such as electro-optical displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), non-linear optic (NLO) devices, and optical information storage devices.

A multilayer film includes a single-crystal silicon layer, a first layer containing Zr, a second layer containing ZrO.sub.2, and a third layer containing a perovskite oxide having an electrooptic effect. The first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are provided in this order above the single-crystal silicon layer, and the multilayer film is transparent to a wavelength to be used.

An object is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer in which an alignment film is repeatedly used and a liquid crystal compound in a liquid crystal layer can be sufficiently aligned. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer includes: an alignment film forming step of forming an alignment film on a support; a liquid crystal alignment layer alignment step of laminating a first liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on the alignment film and aligning the first liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal alignment layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned first liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal alignment layer; a liquid crystal layer alignment step of laminating a second liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer opposite to the alignment film and aligning the second liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned second liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal layer; and a liquid crystal layer separation step of separating the formed liquid crystal layer from the liquid crystal alignment layer, in which the liquid crystal layer alignment step to the liquid crystal layer separation step are repeated to repeatedly prepare the liquid crystal layer.

An object is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer in which an alignment film is repeatedly used and a liquid crystal compound in a liquid crystal layer can be sufficiently aligned. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal layer includes: an alignment film forming step of forming an alignment film on a support; a liquid crystal alignment film alignment step of laminating a first liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on the alignment film and aligning the first liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal alignment layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned first liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal alignment layer; a peeling step of laminating and immobilizing a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer opposite to the alignment film on an adherend and peeling the liquid crystal alignment layer from the alignment film at an interface between the liquid crystal alignment layer and the alignment film; a liquid crystal layer alignment step of laminating a second liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable liquid crystal compound on a surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer from which the alignment film is peeled off and aligning the second liquid crystal composition; a liquid crystal layer forming step of polymerizing the aligned second liquid crystal composition to form a liquid crystal layer; and a liquid crystal layer separation step of separating the formed liquid crystal layer from the liquid crystal alignment layer, in which the liquid crystal layer alignment step to the liquid crystal layer separation step are repeated to repeatedly prepare the liquid crystal layer.

The invention relates to a display device comprising a display plane, on which one or more planar display regions 10, 11 are arranged, said planar regions 10, 11 being covered by transparent coverings. A single transparent covering 3 covers all the planar display regions 10, 11 of the display device, is formed three-dimensionally on the viewer's side by regions of differing thicknesses and is connected on the side facing away from the viewer to the planar display regions 10, 11 by means of optical bonding. The refractive index of the material of the covering 3 corresponds to the refractive index of the optical-bonding material 8.

According to one embodiment, a display device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate and including a first organic film, a first convex portion extending in a first direction, a second convex portion extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a third convex portion aligned with the first convex portion in the second direction and extending in the first direction, and a sealing member located in a second area around a first area in which an image is displayed, wherein the first convex portion, the second convex portion and the third convex portion are located between the first organic film and the sealing member.

A curved display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules, a first alignment layer including reactive mesogens which are polymerized with each other, the first alignment layer being disposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, and a second alignment layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate, where the reactive mesogens have a functional group having charges.

Provided herein is technology relating to sensors for detecting an analyte and particularly, but not exclusively, to liquid crystal sensors, methods of producing liquid crystal sensors, and methods of using liquid crystal sensors.

A liquid crystal aligning agent composition for preparing a liquid crystal alignment film having enhanced stability and exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics, a method for preparing a liquid crystal alignment film using the same, and a liquid crystal alignment film and a liquid crystal display device using the liquid crystal alignment film.