Color Polymer-Stabilized Liquid Crystal for the Optical Shutter with Fast Response Time

Abstract

A color-reflective optical shutter structure has been studied using polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) devices with a specular reflector. The combined effect of an LC, a polymer, a color dye, and a specular reflector results in a high performance of a reflective-mode optical shutter as well as of a simple structure with a fast response time capable of smooth moving images. The reflectance is up to 40%, one of highest for reflective devices, whose response times are fast enough to provide video speed response (<16.6ms). This effective and simple shutter concept can be applied in reflective-mode flexible displays and optical equipment with high performance. © 2011 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.