A waveplate is provided. The waveplate includes a first liquid crystal (“LC”) layer including LC molecules that are in-plane switchable by an external field to switch the waveplate between states of different phase retardances. The waveplate includes a second LC layer and a third LC layer sandwiching the first LC layer. Azimuthal angles of effective refractive index ellipsoids of the second LC layer and the third LC layer are different.

A waveplate is provided. The waveplate includes a first liquid crystal (“LC”) layer including LC molecules that are in-plane switchable by an external field to switch the waveplate between states of different phase retardances. The waveplate includes a second LC layer and a third LC layer sandwiching the first LC layer. Azimuthal angles of effective refractive index ellipsoids of the second LC layer and the third LC layer are different.

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.

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.

The present disclosure discloses a display panel, a method for manufacturing a display panel, and a display device, and belongs to the field of liquid crystal display technologies. The display panel includes an array substrate, a counter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the array substrate and the counter substrate. For the array substrate, a diffuse reflection layer is sequentially laminated on the array substrate. The array substrate includes a first base substrate, and a thin film transistor array, a diffuse reflection layer, and a first planarization layer that are laminated on the first base substrate. A surface of the diffuse reflection layer proximal to the first planarization layer is a reflection surface that has a plurality of protrusion structures, the protrusion structures are configured to diffusely reflect light irradiated on the reflection surface. Based on this structure, the first planarization layer may separate the protrusion structure from the liquid crystal layer to prevent the protrusion structure from affecting the driving effect of the liquid crystal layer. In this way, the problem in the related art regarding the poor display effect of the display panel is solved and thus the display effect of the display panel is improved.

The present disclosure discloses a display panel, a method for manufacturing a display panel, and a display device, and belongs to the field of liquid crystal display technologies. The display panel includes an array substrate, a counter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the array substrate and the counter substrate. For the array substrate, a diffuse reflection layer is sequentially laminated on the array substrate. The array substrate includes a first base substrate, and a thin film transistor array, a diffuse reflection layer, and a first planarization layer that are laminated on the first base substrate. A surface of the diffuse reflection layer proximal to the first planarization layer is a reflection surface that has a plurality of protrusion structures, the protrusion structures are configured to diffusely reflect light irradiated on the reflection surface. Based on this structure, the first planarization layer may separate the protrusion structure from the liquid crystal layer to prevent the protrusion structure from affecting the driving effect of the liquid crystal layer. In this way, the problem in the related art regarding the poor display effect of the display panel is solved and thus the display effect of the display panel is improved.

Devices including nematic liquid crystal-forming molecules are disclosed. The molecules include one or more dipoles and exist in a ferroelectric nematic state. Exemplary devices can further include an electrode for applying an electric field in, for example, and in-plane direction.

Devices including nematic liquid crystal-forming molecules are disclosed. The molecules include one or more dipoles and exist in a ferroelectric nematic state. Exemplary devices can further include an electrode for applying an electric field in, for example, and in-plane direction.

We describe a multimode reconfigurable optical spatial mode multiplexing system having first and second first and second input beams and a beam combiner to combine these into an optical output. At least one of the paths comprises a polarisation-independent reconfigurable phase modulator to impose a controllable phase profile on an input beam in an input beam phase modulating optical path, to controllably convert a spatial mode order of the input beam from a lower to a higher order spatial mode. The system also has a control input to control the phase modulator to configure the phase profile for the mode conversion. The input beams are combined into a multiple spatial mode combined beam output independent of a polarisation of the input beams. The number of spatial modes of the combined beam can be more than a number of spatial modes in either of the first and second input beams separately.

We describe a multimode reconfigurable optical spatial mode multiplexing system having first and second first and second input beams and a beam combiner to combine these into an optical output. At least one of the paths comprises a polarisation-independent reconfigurable phase modulator to impose a controllable phase profile on an input beam in an input beam phase modulating optical path, to controllably convert a spatial mode order of the input beam from a lower to a higher order spatial mode. The system also has a control input to control the phase modulator to configure the phase profile for the mode conversion. The input beams are combined into a multiple spatial mode combined beam output independent of a polarisation of the input beams. The number of spatial modes of the combined beam can be more than a number of spatial modes in either of the first and second input beams separately.