Published in

Elsevier, Displays, 1(22), p. 27-32

DOI: 10.1016/s0141-9382(01)00051-8

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Photo-patterned e-wave polarizer

Journal article published in 2001 by W. C. Yip, H. S. Kwok, V. M. Kozenkov, V. G. Chigrinov
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

In this paper, we report our development in the photo-patterned e-wave polarizer. This polarizer is prepared from amphiphilic dye molecules, which self-assemble and stack up to form the hexagonal complexes of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC) under certain conditions. As a result, it gives rise to a high order parameter and a cylindrical symmetry. Along the c-axis of these complexes most of the e-wave is transmitted, whereas the o-wave, which propagates on the plane orthogonal to this c-axis, can be absorbed effectively. However, the methods usually used to manufacture the e-wave polarizer are based on the mechanical shear flow, which causes unpleasant visual defects and has limited resolution. Therefore, we propose and demonstrate two novel fabrication methods to both photo-align and photo-pattern these e-wave polarizers. The first method consists of transferring a well-prepared LLC polarizing film onto the substrate using the photo-curing glue. The second method consists of applying a photo-alignment layer to induce a preferential orientation of the LLCs. The c-axis in this case is determined by the polarization vector and the incidence plane of the actinic radiation. Since the local structure is patterned optically, the multi-axes and multi-colour polarizers can be prepared cost-effectively. In addition, this photo-patterned polarizing film, which is about 0.3–0.7 μm, can be coated on the internal or external substrate surfaces of a liquid crystal display (LCD). For the TN-LCD with the internal polarizers, we find that the electro-optic characteristics are basically similar to those with the external polarizers. This is central to the internal polarizer development since the STN-LCD is sensitive to any voltage and thickness variations.