Electrically controllable optical element made of an optically isotropic liquid, in particular lens, and method for the production thereof on the basis of liquid composites

An electrically controllable optical element comprising a thin-film cell having:

• two spaced-apart substrates, each of said two spaced-apart substrates having an inner surface to which a planar and/or structured conductive layer is applied;
• and
• a Kerr-effect composite disposed between the conductive layers applied to the two spaced-apart substrates;
• wherein the Kerr-effect composite comprises
• a mixture of rod-shaped molecules and non-rod-shaped semi-mesogen molecules as active components, and
• an anisotropic polymer network formed of polymerized reactive mesogens,
• wherein the non-rod-shaped semi-mesogen molecules in the Kerr-effect composite prevent the formation of ordered states including liquid crystal phases in a range of temperatures at which the thin-film cell is operable,
• wherein, without an electric field, a state of the active components of the Kerr-effect composite is isotropic in the range of temperatures at which the thin-film cell is operable, and
• wherein, upon application of a voltage or adjustment of an applied voltage in the range of temperatures at which the thin-film cell is operable, the active components of the Kerr-effect composite change orientation and thereby produce voltage-induced changes to optical properties of the optical element.