Introduction to Liquid Crystal Light Modulators

Abstract

The way towards the liquid crystal modulators’ design and fabrication is drawn up. The theoretical and practical aspects of material studies and implementations of tailored liquid crystals in liquid crystal modulators are discussed. The way subsequent chapters drive the reader through liquid crystal modulators’ peculiarities is shown. In Chapter 2, a new complementary method of determination of Frank elastic constants in nematic LCs is described. Next, a custom method of determination of material parameters ε┴, Δε, Δn, γ, Kii of working liquid crystal nematic mixtures is discussed. Chapter 4 describes the liquid crystal polarization switch implemented in the rangefinder of the space lander module. In Chapter 5, the design and operation of a liquid crystal spectral filter for air pollution detection are discussed. Finally, Chapter 6 presents an efficient liquid crystal shutter for automatic welding helmet (PIAP-PS automatic).

Keywords: Homogeneous alignment, Homeotropic alignment, In-plane switching, Liquid crystal cell, Liquid crystal display, Liquid crystal’s elastic constants, Liquid crystal filter, Liquid crystal light shutter, Nematic liquid crystals, Optical anisotropy, Permeability anisotropy, Permittivity, Refractive indices, Twisted nematic, Viscosity.