Electrically controlled light scattering in FLC cells

Abstract

Abstract— Three types of light‐scattering effects distinguished by physical mechanisms were studied in detail in monomeric ferroelectric liquid‐crystal (FLC) compositions at different boundary conditions and electrical pulse regimes. The total time of the scattering switching on and switching off is less than 150, 250, and 500 μsec at ±50 V for different scattering types in helix and non‐helix FLCs. They are quite fast, and FLC cells are quite transparent and were used in a stack of 30–100 light‐scattering shutters for a volumetric screen of a 3‐D display.

Dynamic parameters of electrically controlled light scattering in helix FLC cells

“…We continue studying the electrically controlled light scattering in monomeric FLC cells which can be used as lowvoltage and fast light shutters in a volumetric screen of a 3-D display. [1][2][3] Three appropriate light-scattering effects have been observed and experimentally studied 3 ; namely, the light scattering on transient domains in the helix and helix-free FLC and the light scattering on ferroelectric domains in the helix-free FLC. All these effects arise from the spatial inhomogeneities of the optical anisotropy of the FLC layer, and no light depolarization was observed in the transparent state.…”

“…Light-scattering characteristics So, the transient scattering appears 3,4 during the reorientation of the FLC director just after changing the sign of the electric field, and scattering disappears when the formation of the homogeneous layer structure is completed at some high level of the electric field. [1][2][3] Transient domains in helix FLCs are the boundaries of spontaneous ordered regions generated in the process of nonlinear helix deformation via the electric field. They result in the appearance of refraction-index gradients along the helix axis, and this process is accompanied with light scattering of a FLC cell.…”