Stereo-Glasses with Composite and Chiral Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Chiral liquid crystalline (LC) phases (cholesteric and smectic C*) are now widely used as dopants for stabilization of LC orientation in thermotropic films, fast response electro-optical shutters, and in twist and supertwist display devices. The chirality is a consequence of the asymmetry of molecular rigid skeleton or separate flexible substituent which builds up the skeleton. Such a structure provides an increase of effective elasticity in nemato-cholesteric mixtures and, hence, a significant reduction of switch time of LC electro-optical response. In smectic C* phase the asymmetry causing the chirality is one of the reasons of occurrence of spontaneous polarization in LC material. It offers a possibility to reduce the operating voltage and switch time.