Patent ID: 8054413

Claim:
A method for preparing a liquid crystal light modulating cell, the method comprising the steps of: mixing a liquid crystal material and at least one polymerizable material to form a pre-polymerizing solution; providing a pair of spaced apart substrates to receive the pre-polymerizing solution; disposing the pre-polymerizing solution between the spaced apart substrates; phase-separating the pre-polymerizing solution with ultraviolet radiation at a temperature in a range from about 5° C. to about 50° C. greater than a nematic-isotropic transition temperature of the liquid crystal material to form a polymer structure of interpenetrating polymer chains and interconnected unidirectionally oriented microdomains of the liquid crystal material which extend between the surfaces of the substrates; and applying a force to the film to change the shape of the microdomains to a prolonged shape, wherein the liquid crystal material is anchored with the polymer chains to orient the liquid crystal material in each of the microdomains in a direction thereby adjusting the electro-optical properties of the liquid crystal material including optical transparency.