Light control film including optical cavities containing liquid

A light control film comprising a plurality of substantially parallel optical cavities, each of the optical cavities having a height H along a thickness direction of the light control film and a minimum lateral dimension W along an in-plane width direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, H≥W, each of the optical cavities substantially filled with a liquid comprising a plurality of light absorbing particles substantially uniformly dispersed therein so that the optical cavity has a first optical absorption along the width direction of the optical cavity at at least a first location along the thickness direction of the optical cavity, such that in response to a first electrical signal at least a majority of the light absorbing particles in the liquid move to one or more predetermined locations within the optical cavity resulting in the optical cavity having a second optical absorption along the width direction of the optical cavity at the at least the first location along the thickness direction, the second optical absorption smaller than the first optical absorption,

• wherein the light control film comprises first and second optical components comprising respective first and second unitary elements, the first and second unitary elements comprising respective first and second polymeric layers and respective pluralities of first and second structures formed on, and extending from, the respective first and second polymeric layers, the first and second optical components assembled so that the first and second structures are disposed between the first and second polymeric layers and interleaved to form a plurality of pairs of adjacent first and second structures, wherein each optical cavity of the plurality of optical cavities is defined between a pair of adjacent first and second structures.

A light control film extending along orthogonal length and width directions of the light control film, the light control film comprising a plurality of optical cavities arranged along the width direction, each of the optical cavities extending along the length direction and along a thickness direction of the light control film orthogonal to the length and width directions, each of the optical cavities having a height H along the thickness direction and a width W along the width direction, H≥W, the optical cavities substantially filled with a liquid comprising a plurality of light absorbing particles configured to move translationally in response to one or more applied signals or fields such that the translational movement causes each of the optical cavities to transition between a substantially opaque state and a substantially transparent state, wherein a full viewing angle of the light control film increases when the optical cavities transition from the substantially opaque state to the substantially transparent state,

• wherein the light control film comprises first and second optical components comprising respective first and second unitary elements, the first and second unitary elements comprising respective first and second polymeric layers and respective pluralities of first and second structures formed on, and extending from, the respective first and second polymeric layers, the first and second optical components assembled so that the first and second structures are disposed between the first and second polymeric layers and interleaved to form a plurality of pairs of adjacent first and second structures, wherein each optical cavity of the plurality of optical cavities is defined between a pair of adjacent first and second structures.