Liquid crystal mixture for a spatial light modulator

A spatial light modulator comprising:

• a first substrate comprising a first surface;
• a second substrate comprising a second surface, the second substrate being positioned such that the second surface faces the first surface of the first substrate and is space apart therefrom to define a cell gap;
• a first alignment layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate, the first alignment layer being configured to align liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined orientation;
• a second alignment layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate;
• and
• a liquid crystal mixture disposed within the cell gap and between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer, wherein the liquid crystal mixture is a non-phase separated mixture comprising:
• a first liquid crystal component, the first liquid crystal component having a nematic phase in a first temperature range and a birefringence between 0.25 and 0.5, measured at a wavelength of 650 nm;
• and
• a second liquid crystal component, the second liquid crystal component having a ferroelectric nematic phase in a second temperature range,
• wherein the first temperature range and second temperature range at least partially overlap to define a third temperature range, such that when mixed within the third temperature range, the first liquid crystal component and second liquid crystal component form a non-phase-separated nematic phase liquid crystal mixture,
• wherein the spatial light modulator is arranged to provide electrically-addressable modulation of the phase of incident light.