Optical devices with high polymer material and method of forming the same
US5751452A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 18, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 18, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F1/13478
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A polymer dispersed liquid crystal optical device is presented which has optical elements which control reflection, transmission and diffraction of incident light entering the device by adjusting the magnitude of the electrical field applied to the device between a maximum and a minimum limits. An optical element consists of a polymer material having an electrical field-independent refractive index, and a liquid crystal material having an electrical field-dependent refractive index. The optical elements are distributed through the device at specific inter-element spacings, thus enabling to generate reflection of incident light in accordance with Bragg's law of reflection. The inter-element spacings can also be varied by the application of the field, thus enabling to generate reflection of light of a desired wavelength. Such optical elements are ideal for use in full color optical display apparatus of a matrix driven type. Methods for producing the optical device and optical display apparatus are also presented.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.