摘要:
Flakes or platelets of polymer liquid crystals (PLC) or other birefringent polymers (BP) suspended in a fluid host medium constitute a system that can function as the active element in an electrically switchable optical device when the suspension is either contained between a pair of rigid substrates bearing transparent conductive coatings or dispersed as microcapsules within the body of a flexible host polymer. Optical properties of these flake materials include large effective optical path length, different polarization states and high angular sensitivity in their selective reflection or birefringence. The flakes or platelets of these devices need only a 3-20° rotation about the normal to the cell surface to achieve switching characteristics obtainable with prior devices using particle rotation or translation.
摘要:
A reflector for reflecting a broad bandwidth of electromagnetic (EM) radiation, comprising a sheet comprising a large plurality of pairs of layers of transparent polymer material parallel to a surface of the sheet, each pair of layers having a difference in the index of refraction between the materials in each layer of the pair, the total thickness of each pair of layers in the large plurality of layers varying substantially continuously and non linearly across the thickness of the sheet, is disclosed.
摘要:
Disclosed are novel reflective microflakes for use in making “additive-primary” coloring media having improved reflection characteristics over the red, green and blue super-bright color characteristics, and “super-white” coloring media having Magnesium-Oxide like color characteristics. The coloring media of the present invention provides a palette of colors for imparting color characteristics or forming color images upon surfaces of arbitrary surface geometry. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the microflakes are made from cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) material, wherein the pitch of the helices of the liquid crystal molecules in each CLC microflake varies along the thickness dimension (i.e. transverse to the surface) thereof. Depending on the final spiral structure of the materials utilized, the CLC circularly polarizing materials reflect either left-handed or right-handed circularly polarized light. In a preferred embodiment, each CLC microflake of additive-primary coloring media has a laminated construction in order that both the upper and lower surfaces thereof have substantially the same reflection characteristics over its tuned reflection band. Also, each CLC microflake of super-white coloring media has a laminated construction in order that both the upper and lower surfaces thereof have substantially the same reflection characteristics over its broadband reflection band. The super-white and additive-primary coloring media of the present invention can be used to produce virtually any color. By virtue of the circularly polarizing reflection characteristics of the CLC microflakes, the resulting coloring media can be used to form polarization-encoded spatially multiplexed images (SMI) on radiation absorbing surfaces, to produce stereoscopic 3-D images when viewed through electrically-passive polarization glasses. The coloring media may also be used in 2-D and 3-D xerographic printing processes.
摘要:
Electro-optical glazing structures having bi-directional control of electromagnetic radiation during total-reflection, semi-transparent and totally-transparent modes of operation which are electrically-switchable for use in dynamically controlling electromagnetic radiation flow in diverse applications.
摘要:
An electro-optical glazing structure having reflection and transparent modes of operation for selectively reflecting and transmitting electromagnetic radiation without absorption, respectively. The electro-optical glazing structure comprising: an electro-optical panel having first and second optical states of operation; a composite broad-band infrared (IR) reflective polarizing filter structure of electrically-passive construction, mounted to the electro-optical panel; and an optical state switching mechanism for switching the electro-optical panel to the first optical state of operation in order to induce the electro-optical glazing structure into the reflection mode of operation, and for switching the electro-optical panel to the second optical state of operation in order to induce the electro-optical glazing structure into the transparent mode of operation. When the electro-optical panel is switched to the first optical state of operation, electromagnetic radiation within a first prespecified bandwidth falling incident upon the electro-optical panel is reflected from the electro-optical panel without absorption. When the electro-optical panel is switched to the second optical state of operation, electromagnetic radiation within a second prespecified bandwidth falling incident upon the electro-optical panel is transmitted through the electro-optical panel without absorption. By virtue of the present invention, the glazing structure is capable of providing both thermal insulation as well as privacy functions.
摘要:
Disclosed is an improved method and apparatus for forming color images on radiation absorptive surfaces, having improved brightness and color characteristics. The apparatus can be realized in various forms, including Xeroxgraphic and ink-jet printing equipment. In the illustrative embodiments, color images composed from polarization-encoded perspective images are produced for use in stereoscopic viewing full-color 3-D objects represented therein using a pair of electrically-passive circularly-polarizing eyeglasses. Super-white and additive-primary coloring media is used to form the polarization-encoded composite images so that full depth of color (e.g. thousands of color values) is imparted to the 3-D objects graphically represented therein. The coloring media utilized embodies both broadband and spectrally-tuned CLC-based microflakes having symmetrical reflection characteristics which provide for improved brightness and color uniformity characteristics.
摘要:
Disclosed are super broadband circularly polarizing film materials and novels methods of fabricating and using the same. The circularly polarizing materials are made from polymerizable CLC film material having a cholesteric order, in which a liquid crystal material, such as a nematic liquid crystal material, is distributed in a non-linear fashion across the thickness of the film in a plurality of liquid crystal-rich and liquid crystal-depleted sites in the CLC polymer. The pitch of the helices of the CLC molecules in the polyermized CLC material varies in a non-linear (e.g. exponential) manner along the depth dimension (i.e. transverse to the surface) thereof. The resulting circularly polarizing materials have reflection and transmission characteristics over bands of operation approaching 2000 nm. Depending on the final spiral structure of the polymerizable CLC materials utilized, the CLC circularly polarizing materials reflect either left-handed or right-handed circularly polarized light. The CLC circularly polarizing materials of the present invention can be used in a variety of applications.
摘要:
Electro-optical glazing structures having total-reflection and semi-transparent and totally-transparent modes of operation which are electrically-switchable for use in dynamically controlling electromagnetic radiation flow in diverse applications.
摘要:
Electro-optical glazing structures having total-scattering and total-transparent modes of operation which are electrically-switchable for use in dynamically controlling electromagnetic radiation flow in diverse applications.
摘要:
A light controlling film is disclosed, comprising a polymerized polymer network varying spatially in a direction normal to the film surface, where the polymerized polymer network is a crosslinked high molecular weight polymeric material mixed with a low molecular weight nematic material exhibiting cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) order, wherein an electric field impressed in the film controls the reflection bandwidth of circularly polarized light.