Abstract— The first ever, reflective cholesteric liquid‐crystal displays (ChLCDs) on single textile substrates made with simple coating processes have been developed. A novel approach for fabrication of ultra‐thin encapsulated ChLCDs with transparent conducting polymers as bottom and top electrodes will be reported. These displays are fabricated from the bottom‐up by sequential coating of various functional layers on fabric materials. Encapsulation of the cholesteric liquid‐crystal droplets in a polymer matrix and the mechanical flexibility of the conducting polymers allow for the creation of durable and highly conformable textile displays. The development and status of this next‐generation display technology for both monochrome and multicolor cholesteric displays will be discussed.

We present a flexible touch‐sensitive writing tablet utilizing a reflective bistable cholesteric liquid crystal laminated between two conductive‐polymer coated polyethylene‐terephthalate substrates. The device features a selective pressure response suitable for high‐resolution lines to be drawn into the screen. The device is inexpensive, conformable, and laser‐cut to any desired shape.

We have developed the first ever reflective cholesteric liquid crystal displays on single textile substrates made with simple coating processes. This paper reports on a novel approach for fabrication of ultra-thin encapsulated cholesteric liquid crystal displays with transparent conducting polymers as bottom and top electrodes. These displays are fabricated from bottom-up by sequential coating of various functional layers on fabric materials. Encapsulation of the cholesteric liquid crystal droplets in polymer matrix and mechanical flexibility of the conducting polymers allow us to create durable and highly conformable textile displays. We discuss the development and status of this next generation display technology for both monochrome and multi-color cholesteric displays.

Abstract— A novel optically addressable, flexible bistable cholesteric liquid‐crystal display (ChLCD) is presented. These displays utilizeazo‐binaphthalene photosensitive chiral dopants that undergo photo‐isomerization upon exposure to light. The isomerization results in a change in the pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC), which enables the creation of inherently high‐resolution light‐weight displays that are optically written. The displays can be photo‐addressed without patterned electrodes or complex addressing schemes. Capitalizing on the dynamic pitch and the bistability of photosensitive ChLCDs, the display is switched with a single pulse at a specific single voltage to drive the region of the display with a shorter pitch to the focal‐conic texture and the region of the display with a longer pitch to the planar texture. Once in the different textures, the display can hold an image indefinitely regardless of ambient lighting. As such, these displays are a natural fit for badges, shelf‐labels, and point‐of‐sale cards. In this paper, the photosensitive properties of an encapsulated display system in comparison to an unencapsulated display system is discussed. Properties such a photosensitivity, thermal relaxation, and electro‐optical response are studied and reported. In addition, a flexible optically addressable ChLCD is developed and demonstrated.

Abstract— This paper demonstrates the first substrate‐free cholesteric liquid‐crystal displays. The encapsulated cholesteric displays are ultra‐thin (with a total thickness around 20 μm) and ultra‐lightweight (0.002 g/cm2). The displays exhibit unprecedented conformability, flexibility, and drapability while maintaining electro‐optical performance and mechanical integrity. All functional display layers are sequentially coated on a preparation substrate and then lifted‐off from the preparation substrate to form a free‐standing display. The display fabrication process, electro‐optical performance, and display flexibility are discussed.