Patent ID: 8153192

Claim:
A method of forming a composite containing a matrix component and at least one liquid crystal component, said at least one liquid crystal component being dispersed within said matrix, said matrix component having a first index of refraction and said at least one liquid crystal component having a second index of refraction, the difference between the first and the second index of refraction being variable over a range of values, such that it is possible to adjust the difference between the first and the second index to be small or approximately zero, whereby, as a result, a display cell containing said composite becomes transparent, said method comprising: providing a porous matrix having an interstitial space for taking up liquids, wherein pores in the porous matrix have a pore size in the range of 500 nm to 10 μm; providing at least one liquid crystal component, said at least one liquid crystal component being optically absorbing; adding the at least one liquid crystal component to the porous matrix; heating the composite containing the porous matrix and at least one liquid crystal component to a temperature above the isotropic temperature of the at least one liquid crystal component, but below the decomposition/melting temperature of the porous matrix; and cooling the composite to a first temperature, wherein the composite, while at the first temperature, can be reversibly switched between a colored state and transparent state by applying an electric field directly to the composite.