Optical component comprising liquid crystals in a blue phase and process for making such optical component

A process for making an optical component comprising a liquid crystal material stabilized in a blue phase, the process comprising:

• a) providing a first layer and a second layer, the first and second layers forming two main surfaces facing each other, at least one of the main surfaces having an alignment layer toward the other main surface, said alignment layer comprising polyimide;
• b) filling up the space between said first and second layer with a composition comprising a mix of said liquid crystal material, a chiral dopant, and a matrix material distinct from the liquid crystal material, said liquid crystal material comprising liquid crystal molecules adapted to organize relative to each other to form a blue phase and said matrix material comprising monomers adapted to polymerize;
• c) bringing the liquid crystal material into said blue phase by inducing the liquid crystal molecules to form blue phase structures;
• and
• d) polymerizing the monomers of the matrix material while the liquid crystal material is in said blue phase, the polymerization step d) being achieved at a polymerization temperature at which the liquid crystal material exhibits at least a first predetermined minimal proportion of a first type of structure called blue phase I and at least a second predetermined minimal proportion of a second type of structure called blue phase II, the first predetermined minimal proportion being obtained when the blue phase I covers at least 40% of a surface of composition having the liquid crystal in a blue phase, in a plane parallel to said first and second layers, and the second predetermined minimal proportion being obtained when blue phase II covers at least 20% of said surface.