Patent ID: 6266109
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
A liquid crystal optical switching element comprising:a pair of polarizers disposed to face each other with a space being interposed therebetween;a pair of substrates interposed between said pair of polarizers and disposed to face each other with a space being interposed therebetween;a medium interposed between said pair of substrates and composed of a liquid crystal material partitioned into small sections, and a material for partitioning a region of said liquid crystal material into said small sections selected from the group consisting of a network polymer and a microcapsule; andvoltage-applying means to apply a voltage to said medium;wherein said medium is optically isotropic at the moment when no voltage is applied to said medium and capable of exhibiting an optical anisotropy which is proportional to a square of electric field intensity when a voltage is applied to said medium, andsaid liquid crystal material occupies more than 50% of said medium.