Variable light attenuating devices and arrangements

A non-polarizer based variable light attenuating device comprising:

• a non-polarization based liquid crystal cell comprising first and second conducting layers provided on first and second transparent substrates and a guest-host mixture disposed between said conducting layers,
• wherein said guest-host mixture is in a low-haze low light-transmitting state when no voltage is applied to the cell;
• a low-haze high light-transmitting state when a first voltage is applied to the cell;
• and a focal conic light diffusing state to achieve high-haze when a second voltage is applied to the cell.

A non-polarizer based variable light attenuating device comprising:

• a non-polarization based liquid crystal cell comprising a guest-host mixture disposed between first and second conducting layers provided on first and second transparent substrates;
• wherein at least one transparent substrate comprises a planar alignment layer;
• wherein the guest-host mixture comprises a positive dielectric anisotropy chiral liquid crystal host having a pitch longer than 850 nm, a dichroic dye guest having positive dichroism, a polymerizable material and an initiator;
• wherein in the absence of a voltage the liquid crystal host has a planar-helical orientation with minimal light scattering and the cell is in a low-haze high light-absorption state,
• wherein when a first voltage is applied to the cell the liquid crystal has a light scattering focal conic orientation and the cell is in a high-haze state,
• wherein when a second voltage is applied to the cell the liquid crystal has a homeotropic orientation with minimal light scattering and the cell is in a low-haze low-light absorption state.