Patent ID: 8913215

Claim:
A bistable switchable liquid crystal device comprising: a first transparent substrate having an interior and exterior surface; a second transparent substrate having an interior and exterior surface, wherein the first and second substrates are separated by a predetermined distance; an electrically conductive layer located on the interior surface of at least one of the first and second substrates; a cholesteric liquid crystal material comprising at least one nematic liquid crystal material; and a polymer matrix comprising at least one chiral material and at least one polymerizable material, wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal material is provided adjacent the at least one electrically conductive layer, and wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal material is switched from a transparent homeotropic state to a light scattering focal conic state upon application of a high frequency voltage pulse and from a light scattering focal conic state to a transparent homeotropic state upon application of a low frequency voltage pulse.